‘2014 marked gov’t victories in struggle for peace’

MANILA, Philippines - Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles sees the year 2014 as a celebration of the government’s victories in the struggle for peace over violent conflict.

In a New Year message, Deles said through the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) early in 2014, the  government had firmly installed the pillars of shared peace and prosperity in strife-torn Mindanao.

“This year (2015), with the expected passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law by Congress and its anticipated ratification by the people in the core territory as well as complementary movements in the normalization process, we will see the rise of the Bangsamoro that shall serve as the anchor of lasting peace and prosperity not just for the Bangsamoro but for the entire country,” she said.

Deles said socio-economic programs under PAMANA continue to be extended to benefit MNLF communities and to assist internally displaced families to ensure that no one would be left behind.

“We welcome the coming together of the MNLF and the 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 aspiration of the Bangsamoro people towards just and lasting peace,” she said.

Deles said positive strides have also been made in the name of peace in other parts of the country.

Three years after its signing, the memorandum of agreement with the Cordillera Bodong Administration/Cordillera People’s Liberation Army has entered the final phase of implementation, she said.

The CBA/CPLA has transformed itself into a legitimate, SEC-registered, unarmed, socio-economic organization called the Cordillera Forum for Peace and Development (CFPD), she said.

Deles said in the Visayas, the communist splinter group Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade Tabara-Paduano Group has completed the draft of its Closure Agreement with Government that is undergoing diligent review for signing in early 2015.

The RPM-P/RPA/ABB TPG, 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, she added.

Deles said the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front has been sending strong overtures for the resumption of peace talks.

“We believe, however, that for the peace talks to prosper, we need to pursue an agenda that is doable and time-bound, with agreements that are realizable within the remaining term of President Aquino,” she said.