Statement of Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, On the attack in
The
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) calls for calm
and sobriety amid the atrocities perpetrated since early yesterday morning in Zamboanga City
We
pray for the safety of innocent civilians taken as hostages by these armed
rebels. The government is doing its best to restore peace and order in Zamboanga City
We
condemn acts of violence perpetrated by spoilers out to derail the people’s
journey to a just and lasting peace that would soon bring jobs, infrastructure
programs, and quality education to the Bangsamoro people, if not the whole of
Mindanao. To them we ask, how can you demand to hoist your flag in the name of
peace while brazenly bearing arms and hurting innocent civilians?
We
condemn not only the armed aggression sanctioned by some leaders of the
MNLF-Misuari wing, but also its malicious campaign to mislead the public and
spur their members to rebel with their insinuation that the Phillippine
Government already terminated the Final Peace Agreement (FPA) that the MNLF led
by Nur Misuari signed with the GPH in 1996.
The
Philippine government stands firm in its quest for peaceful solutions to the
conflict in Mindanao through inclusive dialogue and formal peace negotiations.
We
seek the people’s support and prayers as our security forces and local
governments work together to restore peace and order in Zamboanga City.
The
following are some facts on the real status of the GPH-MNLF peace process,
disproving the allegations of the MNLF-Misuari group:
1. The
Philippine Government did not terminate the 1996 GPH-MNLF Final Peace
Agreement. What the government intended was the completion of the almost
six-year Tripartite Review Process on the implementation of the 1996 FPA, to
pave the way for the Agreement's full implementation.
2. The
Aquino Administration has continuously engaged the MNLF through the
GPH-MNLF-OIC Tripartite Review Process, since the Administration's start last
July, 2010. The process has been moving with one (1) formal Tripartite meeting,
two (2) AdHoc High-Level Group meetings, several informal technical meetings
and consultations since the start of this Administration. In all these
meetings, Nur Misuari personally attended and participated in the process that
led to the GPH-MNLF’s 42 consensus points on amendmends to RA 9054.
3. The
OIC-PCSP has already scheduled the convening of the 5th Meeting of the
GPH-MNLF-OIC Tripartite Review on the Implementation of the 1996 FPA on Monday,
16 September 2013 in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. It is for this that the Chair
of the OIC-PCSP, Indonesian Ambassador Hassan Kleib visited the country last
week for top-level consultations with the GPH in Manila on 5 September 2013,
and the MNLF groups in Davao City on 6 September 2013, in preparation for the
meeting.
4. The
proposed completion of the Tripartite Review Process was thoroughly discussed
and clearly understood by the OIC-PCSP as shown by the letter to the OIC
Secretary General of Indonesian Foreign Minister Dr. Marty Natalegawa, which
the Indonesian Ministry shared with us, which states that "the GPH
conveyed its assurances that in the case of the closure of the Tripartite
Implementation Review Process, GPH will continue to engage relevant parties of
the MNLF, through existing mechanism, to find a just and comprehensive
political solution for the issue of the Southern Philippines."
5. On
the development aspect, the Philippine Government has been engaging the
MNLF under the PAMANA program that covered former MNLF bases that were
transformed into Peace and Development Communities as beneficiaries, and
provided assistance for community infrastructure needs.
6. The
ARMM Regional Government on the other hand, has likewise signed an agreement
with the MNLF through ARMM-MNLF Cooperation for Peace and Development on 8
November 2012, which was personally witnessed by Nur Misuari. The MOA provides
for delivery of development projects and programs to benefit their communities.
More than 50 senior MNLF leaders signed a resolution of commitment on 1
September 2013, as partner of the regional government of the Autonomous Region
in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to help alleviate the economic status and welfare of
the MNLF communities through socio-economic projects in Mindanao and affirming
their continued support to the 1996 FPA.
Clearly, the armed group that staged these violent attacks in Zamboanga City had genuine peace farthest from their minds. The group's willful intent to misunderstand and misrepresent the real status of the peace process was very clear. We call on Chairman Misuari to reign in his followers, and listen to the clamor of the Bangsamoro people for the advancement of a comprehensive peace agreement and the implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement, to which the Philippine government remains committed to achieve just and lasting peace in Mindanao.
http://mindanaoexaminer.blogspot.com/2013/09/media-statement-opapp-on-attack-in.html
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.