A peace advocacy group, together with the Department of
Education (DepEd) National Employees Union on Wednesday defended President
Benigno S. Aquino’s policies on the comprehensive peace process as “very clear”
amid criticism that the government has no clear cut policies to end the decades
old armed conflict between communists guerrillas and the Armed Forces of the Philippines
At the same time, however, the Yes for Peace-Bayanihan para
sa Kapayapaan, Kaunlaran at Kasaganahan (KKK) and the DepEd National Employees
Union asked why do government negotiators readily submit to the National
Democratic Front of the Philippines
Ernesto A. Alcanzare, lead organizer of the Yes For
Peace-Bayanihan para sa KKK and Lawyer Domingo B. Alidon, president of the
DepED National Employees Union, made the statement in wake of an article
written by former Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front
spokesman Satur Ocampo stating that the Chief Executive has no clear policies
on the quest to end the decades old armed conflicts between the armed rebel
group and the government military forces.
In an open letter to Presidential Adviser on the Peace
Process Teresita Quintos Deles, Alcanzare and Alidon responded to a column
entitled “Can GPH-NDFP peace talks gain ground in 2015?” written by former
Congressman and NDF spokesman Satur C. Ocampo early this month at a mjor
national daily newspaper.
In his article, Ocampo suggested that President Aquino’s
February 2011 peace initiative dissolved into mutual rancor because he had no
clear policies “to pave the way ahead to address the root causes of the armed
conflicts”.
“To our minds, the President’s policies are very clear as
embodied by the three principles underlying the comprehensive peace process and
the six paths to peace stipulated in President Fidel V. Ramos’ Executive Order
No.125 that were reiterated by President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo’s Executive
Order No.3.
Upon your advice, this was adopted in toto by President
Aquino as his policy not clear enough to guide the peace advisers and peace
negotiators of the government. If these were not enough, how could 12 formal
agreements be signed signed between 1998 to 2004? How could they be reaffirmed
by the two peace panels in February 2011?, ” Alcanzare and Alidon said in their
joint letter to Secretary Deles.
They also asked Deles why the peace talks are being held
halfway across the globe and why they keep on using foreign third party
facilitators who cannot understand Filipino language despite the fact that
nothing substantial has been achieved for the past 22 years since the Hague
Joint Declaration.
“Could we not hold the talks here in the Philippines with
objective and non-partisan domestic third party mediators and in the process,
educate, encourage and mobilize the people to collectively get involved and
participate (Bayanihan) in implementing all programs and projects to be agreed
upon as we have been calling for since 1988? If not, why not?,” Alcanzare and
Alidon said.
The two peace advocates also said that they are hoping that
Secretary Deles will respond to their letter.
They said that so many lives and money have already been
wasted in a war being waged in the name of the Filipino people and it is about
time that everybody do their share to end this armed conflict.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=725092
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