Search still on for new peace negotiators

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) is still searching for the members of the new peace panel that will negotiate with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (NDF-CPP-NPA).

“We just want to have a thorough job. We have to talk to the people. We will have the names of the new members of the peace panel announced very soon,” said Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles.

Having taken over four days ago from her predecessor, Annabelle Abaya, Deles said she is still busy making the necessary changes in her office.

She said her transition team is also trying to get to the root of Abaya’s allegations that P170 million of the P250-million first tranche for the OPAPP’s Social Integration Program (SIP) has been missing or unaccounted for.

“We are still trying to find out exactly where the missing funds originated since there were no documents that were given to us. We are trying to get to the root of it,” she said.   

Abaya earlier said she dismissed 70 OPAPP personnel over the missing funds.

She also alleged there were unauthorized purchases of cars, upgrading of offices, representation, travel, and other expenditures during the time of her predecessors.

Esperon, who served as OPAPP secretary from June 2008 to February 2009, denied all the allegations.

“The number (of dismissed OPAPP personnel) is fiction. But the psychological effect of such a big number, if indeed they had been dismissed, is that corruption has eaten up most, if not all, of OPAPP personnel,” Esperon said.

“When I served at OPAPP, I met some of the most dedicated public servants I have ever known. OPAPP employees are proud of their work. They work long hours, sometimes coming face to face with physical danger, yet basically underpaid,” he added.

In April 2008, Esperon said then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved the allocation of P500 million for the SIP and released the first tranche amounting to P250 million.

“When I became OPAPP secretary in June 2008, I found the answers to why our Balik-Baril program in the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) had been slow, if not static for some years in terms of funding. Therefore, I was more than happy to have a hand in restating and implementing the SIP, in tandem with the NCSI. Thus, we went full-blast with SIP even as at that time, I was so absorbed and excited with the talks with the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front),” Esperon said.

Esperon recalled that on June 28, 2008, Arroyo received in Davao City more than a hundred rebel returnees, signaling the start of their re-integration to mainstream society.

He said he asked then Maj. Gen. Pete Ramboanga to head the SIP operations and also hired nine “Magdalo” officers, including Capt. Milo Maestrocampo, mostly as area action officers for the SIP.