Weapons as art: A memento of successful peace talks

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 26, 2020): Weapons as art: A memento of successful peace talks (By Liza Agoot)

DESTRUCTION. Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. (right) leads the destruction of high-powered firearms and explosives during a ceremony that is part of the normalization program related to the Mount Data peace agreement in 1986. The firearms were turned in by former members of the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army, then led by rebel priest Conrado Balweg, as a sign of their commitment for continuing peace in the region. (PNA photo by Liza T. Agoot)

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Firearms are usually associated with conflict, but what better way to use it in a less destructive way than as art.

Brig. Gen. R'Win Pagkalinawan, regional director of the Police Regional Office Cordillera, on Sunday said firearms surrendered by former members of the Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (CPLA) will be used as materials for art pieces to serve as reminder that peace can be achieved thru dialogues.

“To emphasize the importance of this activity and the peace that we have given to the people of Cordillera, we have a proposal that these de-milled firearms be given to artists to be made as an artwork which we will place at Mt. Data Hotel in commemoration of the peace that Cordillera introduced to the country," he said.

Pagkalinawan said he has submitted a proposal to an artist who will do the piece.

“Kailangan lang na makita niya 'yung itsura ng naputol na mga baril para maka isip siya ng magandang artwork (he just needs to see how the guns were cut so that he can think of a good artwork),” Pagkalinawan said.

The surrender of firearms is part of the agreement in one of the successful government-initiated peace talks in the country's history.

A total of 355 of the 444 high-powered firearms and 27 explosives surrendered by the former CPLA members as a result of a subsequent agreement in 2011 for the inventory and disposition of firearms were demilitarized on Oct. 23 as part of the normalization plan under the Government of the Philippines- Cordillera Bodong Administration-Cordillera Peoples Liberation Army (GPH- CBA-CPLA) Peace Process.

The GPH-CBA-CPLA peace process resulted in the peace agreement between former President Corazon Aquino and rebel priest Conrado Balweg in 1986 done the indigenous way, or what was called as the “1986 sipat agreement” and “Mt. Data Sipat agreement” that happened in Mount Data Hotel, Bauko, Mountain Province.

It was marked with an exchange of peace tokens between the parties.

The idea of an artwork using the firearms was approved by the Philippine National Police headquarters in 2016 to commemorate the Cordillera struggle, the pieces to be donated as materials.

Continuing talks for peace

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. on Friday said it is President Rodrigo Duterte’s dream to attain peace and despite the challenges the country is facing these days, achieving peace is always a priority of the administration.

“While I am the national implementer for Covid (Coronavirus disease 2019), he does not want me to set aside my being the OPAPP chief,” he said.

Galvez said the President has committed to honor the past peace agreements entered into by the government and wants to thresh out issues to be able to pursue and give the deliverables to the former fighters in the Cordillera.

“With the creation of the JEMC (Joint Evaluation and Monitoring Committee), we will ensure that our commitment, with the Duterte administration, we’ll be honor-bound to implement all the agreed agreements,” Galvez said.

“Ang ating napag kasunduan ng Sipat noong 1986 at sa ngayon po ay tuloy-tuloy na po (what was agreed upon during the Sipat in 1986 and now continues),” he added.

The destruction of the firearms is part of the continuing commitment between the parties to sustain the peace effort started more than 30 years back.

Leonardo Bun-as, one of the CPLA fighters during the actual exchange of peace tokens in 1986 said he is still hoping that the clamor for self-determination would be achieved during Duterte's term.

He said the government has delivered some of the demands during the peace negotiations such as the integration of former CPLA members to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, hiring of several members as forest guards, creation of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit and provision for livelihood.

Bun-as said the peace talks in 1986 happened because of the desire for peace, to which Galvez assured has the full support of the present administration.

Pending the passage of an enabling law for the autonomous region of the Cordillera, Galvez said they continue to desire to improve the condition of the former fighters.

“May mga plano na po talaga kami na socio-economic livelihood programs na para sa kanila na prinopose namin na more or less 200 to 300 million na para sa kanilang mga community, at yun po ang pinag uusapan po namin (we already have plans for the socio-economic livelihood programs where we proposed PHP200 to PHP300 million for their communities and that is what we are now talking about),” Galvez said.

Some flaws were seen in terms of the socio-economic normalization program and should not only be about integration and the short-term plans, Galvez said. The normalization program plan should be for at least three to five years, he added.

“Iyan po ay susuportahan po natin, commitment po natin 'yan na magkaroon po tayo ng kaganapan na tinatawag natin na talagang real, genuine autonomy sa Cordillera (we will support that because it is a commitment to have a real, a genuine autonomy in the Cordillera),” he said.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1119670