Power struggle in NDF leadership delaying peace talks

MANILA, Philippines - A power struggle within the leadership of the National Democratic Front (NDF) is delaying the government’s peace efforts with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), according to presidential adviser on the peace process Annabelle Abaya.

In a round-table discussion with reporters, Abaya said the task of the next administration is to know who (from NDF) it is talking to.

Abaya, who has been with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) for the past eight months, said the next administration should observe a “wait and see” attitude until the power struggle within the NDF is patched up.

“It will be a wait and see for the next administration to let the NDF-CPP-NPA settle the power struggle. I think there is a need for quiet diplomacy to find out from them and do some intelligence work to know who we should talk to, and that the government should not encourage local peace talks,” she said.

She emphasized that the NDF-CPP-NPA will also look closely at who will be the next OPAPP chief.

“I am uncomfortable giving unsolicited advice. But since the transition process requires us to give recommendations, I will have to say: First, on the Mindanao challenge, I think it will be most helpful to encourage the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) in their initiative to help unify the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other Islamic groups in Mindanao,” Abaya said.

She said the government should also ask the Indonesian government to continue mediating the peace process.

Abaya: OPAPP was graft ridden

She added that her greatest achievement in OPAPP was combating corruption, but admitted that P170 million of the P500 million for Social Integration Projects for rebels remained “unaccounted for.”

Taking over from former OPAPP chief Avelino Razon Jr. who resigned to concentrate on his failed mayoralty bid in Manila, Abaya said she was able to eradicate the “systemic corruption” involving high ranking OPAPP officials, particularly in the administration and finance division.

“About 10 to 15 senior officials of the 76 OPAPP personnel were removed due to their involvement in corruption and their lack of expertise in their positions. I feel like a thorn was taken out of my throat,” Abaya said.

Old faces are back

Meanwhile, former presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita “Ging” Deles announced yesterday that she had accepted the offer of president-apparent Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino to be part of his administration’s peace panel.

Deles said she met with Aquino in his house on Times street in Quezon City where they discussed plans to “hit the ground running on the peace process.”

She said she accepted Aquino’s offer only yesterday and would begin her official duties on June 30, inauguration date of the new president.

Deles was peace adviser of President Arroyo from 2003 to 2005. She was one of those who joined the Hyatt 10, the group of Cabinet and senior government officials who resigned in 2005 to protest Mrs. Arroyo’s alleged cheating and misgovernance.

She said she had been working with Aquino on the peace platform as a presidential candidate because peace and security would be one of the major challenges of the new administration.

Aquino had announced that he was in favor of continuing the peace talks to put closure to the armed conflicts.

“Good governance is an important track in resolving the issue. Basic services, areas of conflict, development and reconstruction, particularly in Mindanao, and the security sector reform, not everything under the OPAPP but these are (what) should be seriously pursued if we are going to have sustainable peace,” she said.

Deles said there had been a lot of problems with the peace talks on many aspects under the Arroyo administration, but there would be no need to start from scratch because “there are mechanisms and structures that are in place.    – With Aurea Calica