LOCALIZED PEACE TALKS TO SOLVE INSURGENCY, SAY

A peace advocate said the government must focus on the grassroots level to solve the insurgency program

Mas maganda, bakit? This will be initiated and managed by the local leaders. ‘Yong local leaders sila ‘yong mas nakakaalam diyan sa local community nila with the help of the national government, siguro machachannel ‘yong mga resources at tsaka mga right ideas at tsaka right discipline. VINCE MOLEJON, MPC secretary general

An official of the Mindanao Peace Council (MPC) expressed his support for localized peace talks to resolve the insurgency problem especially in Davao region.

Vince Molejon, MPC secretary general, said during yesterday’s Kapehan sa Dabaw he fully supports the peace initiative of the Presidential Peace Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr. in the formation of a new panel composed of representatives from different sectoral groups, local government units, and the military who will supervise the localized peace engagements.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte has permanently dissolved the members of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) Negotiating Panel after several attempts to talk with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). But it does not mean that efforts in attaining peace have stopped.

“Itong localized peace talks, all-out support ako diyan dahil ‘yan ang nakikita ko na best talagang solution,” Molejon said.

He added, “Mas maganda, bakit? This will be initiated and managed by the local leaders. ‘Yong local leaders sila ‘yong mas nakakaalam diyan sa local community nila with the help of the national government, siguro macha-channel ‘yong mga resources at tsaka mga right ideas at tsaka right discipline.”

Since 2016, a total of four rounds of talks have been undertaken between the government and the NDFP. Despite this, the desired result to attain peace was not attained.

On the side of the left, attacks on the ground continue to persist despite the directives coming from their national leadership.

“Ibig sabihin lang siguro ‘yong sa taas walang command talaga totally dito sa maliliit na factions dito na mga insurgents,” he said.

To solve the insurgency problem, he said the government must focus on the grassroots level and address their plight. It must start with the basic, the smallest unit of the society, which is the family, adding that people should be taught the “correct principles and then you let them govern themselves, that’s the best way to help people really realize that they are part of the society.”

“I will contextualize it this way, if you want to really solve the problem that is existing in the country, we will take one step back. Tingnan natin kung saan ito nagsimula and then we will find out na ito nagsimula sa pamilya,” he said.