OPAPP to consult public on talks with Reds

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) will conduct public consultations during the three-month review of all agreements between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“We’d like also to avail of this period to engage the public,” OPAPP chief Jesus Dureza said in an interview with ABS-CBN last week while he was in Norway to attend the Oslo Forum.

Dureza emphasized the importance of these consultations.

“If we keep it secret and spring it on the public suddenly – backchannel, without informing them first… they will start asking questions and may not even support (the peace talks),” Dureza said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“We can reveal everything that we tackled and then talk about it in public consultations so the public will understand why,” Dureza added.

Dureza also noted ongoing engagement with overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), involving them in the peace process.

“There are about 10 million OFWs all over the world. They are big agents of growth because they provide great support to our economy,” Dureza said.

“We have a concept and a way of how we can involve our OFWs – we call them the ‘peace ambassadors’,” Dureza added.

Dureza said these “peace ambassadors” are the best people to relay information to other Filipinos.

“They are hoping to bring the message of peace to their own family, neighborhood, to fellow Pinoys and especially to the communities where they live,” Dureza said.

Dureza added that “peace ambassadors” were also installed during previous rounds of peace talks in Italy, the Netherlands and Norway.

“(Peace ambassadors) will become recipients of regular updates on the peace work in the Philippines. After that, we’d like to expect feedback from them,” Dureza said.

“Our ‘peace ambassadors’ are very active. Some of them are giving feedbacks already, so that’s one way of getting cohesive action from the public,” Dureza said. –