PASIG CITY, May 6 — Filipino voters should factor the stance of their candidates on peace for the country come election day on May 9, in order to preserve and continue the gains of the peace process initiatives of the current administration, said Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles.
“I hope you will greatly consider the stance, or the lack thereof, of the candidates on the peace process. There are no shortcuts to peace,” Deles said in Filipino during the OPAPP’s general assembly earlier this week.
The peace adviser reminded the public to assess the views of the candidates on the ongoing peace efforts, not only with the peace talks with the MILF but also with the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF).
“It is important to look at the views of the candidates and their commitment on these two major peace tables,” Deles said. “I hope we ponder on who has the clear understanding of our gains in the process and who does not have an idea in it.”
She also noted that the major progress in the three peace tables with the leftists should be considered by the next administration.
Deles reaffirmed that the peace process should be a factor in the decision-making of the voters as its result will affect the peace negotiations.
Strides in the Bangsamoro
The OPAPP secretary pointed out that the Mindanao peace and development prospects would have already moved forward with the recent convergence of the peace processes with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) through the passage of the shelved Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL).
The BBL is the legal iteration of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) signed between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the MILF peace panels last 27 March 2014. The bill proposes to replace the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and establish a more inclusive Bangsamoro autonomous region.
If the BBL had been passed, the MNLF would be given representation in the Bangsamoro Transition Authority—the temporary government that will bridge the ARMM and the Bangsamoro —as well as encourage them to field candidates for the elections in the envisioned parliamentary region.
The CAB also provides a roadmap for the implementation of socio-economic programs for the normalization of conflict-affected areas and the transition of MILF combatants back to civilian lives. (OPAPP)