Thursday, December 5, 2013

AFP chief wants rebel groups to abandon armed struggle

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 5): AFP chief wants rebel groups to abandon armed struggle

Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff General Emmanuel Bautista expressed hope that the rebel groups will abandon armed struggle by his innovative program for the military dubbed as Operation Plan Bayanihan.

Bautista bared his intention to widen the Oplan Bayanihan to all rebel groups in the country on Wednesday on his visit to the camp as guest of honor and speaker during the graduation exercises of the 158 sons and daughters of Cordillera People’s Liberation Amy (CPLA).

The AFP chief said that under his leadership, he wantsto end armed struggle from all rebel groups in the country by encouraging them to join in the development efforts of the government to attain lasting peace and progress.

Bautista cited a concrete example of Oplan Bayanihan in the case of CPLA where the government’s peace panel and the military and other stakeholders joined together to make Cordillera region peaceful.

He said the integration of sons and daughters of CPLA into the military is one component in pushing peace and development in the area while the livelihood component under the agreement between the government and the Cordillera Forum on Peace and Development (CFPD) will continue.

“Under my leadership in the military, we want rebel groups in the country to abandon armed struggle and join the development effort of the government for the country's attainment of real progress”, Bautista said.

“It has been more than four decades of fighting between government troops and the rebels, we need to end it now”, Bautista added.

Bautista is hopeful that all rebel groups in the country will heed to his call so that the nation will move on and progress will spread in all parts of the countryside.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=593885

No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.