Religious leaders back Rody on GPH-NDF talks

DAVAO CITY – President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte has found allies among members of the religious sector here who believe that the tough-talking leader has what it takes to push forward the longstalled peace talks between the government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front (NDF).

“When we have a president who says that he will be for social justice, it’s only logical to understand that he will [not only] ally with Christians who are for social justice, but also [with] the NDF, the Communist Party of the Philippines and New People’s Army who have been struggling over the years for social justice,” said Fr. Joel Taborra, Ateneo de Davao president, during a dialogue organized by the university the other day.

Fr. Tabora, a staunch peace advocate, lamented that although the concept of social justice is deeply enshrined in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, in reality it “hasn’t been practiced, hasn’t been realized in that way.”

In the same dialogue, Fr. Christopher Ablon of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP), aired his support for Duterte.

“We wish him well, we encourage him to push through and to go on, and to overcome any hindrance and spoilers that will [be thrown] at his administration and also to the peace process,” Fr. Ablon said.

He said that the PEPP, a conglomeration of five religious groups in the Philippines, is pleased with the incoming president’s recent pronouncements, specifically on the proposed resumption of peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the NDF.

Fr. Ablon likened Duterte to former President Fidel V. Ramos whose administration “made the most” out of the previous agreements made with the NDF, as he ordered his negotiating team to proceed with the talks despite roadblocks along the way. (With a report from Sonny Mendoza)