Secretary Deles expresses hope for more peace milestones in 2015

Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles expressed hope and faith in achieving more milestones in the peace process this 2015 as she addressed employees and staff of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process today, the first working day of the new year.

“This 2015 will not be an easy year. But definitely like 2014, it can be full of rewards. It can be full of high points and milestones.” Deles said. “Let us face 2015 with boldness, courage, enthusiasm, peace, faith and hope that we are meant to do something and our work here is blessed by (the) Almighty,” she said.

Deles expressed hopefulness for positive strides in all the peace tables handled by OPAPP, including the resumption of peace talks of the government with the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF).

“Of course, we would like that we are able to move this (peace table with the CPP/NPA/NDF) substantially (before the end of PNoy administration); that this internal armed conflict (reach the possibility of a political settlement). We would like to bring this (conflict) to the peace table and push improvement of the situation on the ground,” said Deles.

The peace adviser underlined that the Aquino administration continues to abide by its policy to implement what it will sign (as a peace pact). “We don’t want (the) problem of internal armed conflict to remain a major thing that has to be managed or resolved by the next administration,” said Deles.

Meanwhile, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), the final peace pact signed by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) in 2014, continues to be implemented by the Parties. Its enabling law called the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) is being deliberated by Congress for passage early this year towards the establishment of the Bangsamoro as complementary movements on the normalization process are ongoing.

In her New Year statement, the peace adviser likewise noted that government and the Moro National Liberation Front are endeavoring to complete the Tripartite Implementation Review of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement as it continues to extend socio-economic programs under the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan or PAMANA “to benefit MNLF communities and to assist internally displaced families to ensure that no one will be left behind.” Deles also noted that government “welcome the coming together of MNLF and MILF under the Bangsamoro Coordination Forum, a mechanism facilitated by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation to harmonize the efforts of the two Fronts in achieving the aspirations of the Bangsamoro people towards just and lasting peace.”

In its closure tables, Deles reported that the “implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement between the Government and the Cordillera Bodong Administration/Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CBA/CPLA) has entered its final phase” and “transformed itself into a legitimate, SEC-registered, unarmed, socio-economic organization called the Cordillera Forum for Peace and Development (CFPD).” The same is true with the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade Tabara-Paduano Group (RPM-P/RPA/ABB TPG), a splinter group of the armed wing of the communist rebels, which is set to sign a closure agreement with the government and “through the party-list Abang Lingkod, has chosen to take the road to peace by pursuing political and social change without the use of arms.”

GPH Website

http://www.gov.ph/

Article links:
http://www.gov.ph/2015/01/05/secretary-deles-expresses-hope-for-more-peace-milestones-in-2015/

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