Marcos gov’t to execute all signed peace agreements, says Purisima

THE Marcos administration is determined to build on the gains of the comprehensive Philippine peace process by sustaining its momentum and pushing forward with the implementation of all signed peace agreements.

This was emphasized by acting Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Isidro Purisima to participants of the Mindanao Development Forum 2023 spearheaded by the Mindanao Development Authority ( MinDA) on May 18.

In a statement Sunday, Purisima stressed that peace and development “must always go hand in hand” and should be pursued with the “same level of intensity and vigor" in his talk to representatives of national line agencies, official development assistance (ODA) community, and diplomatic corps.

He noted that the dividends of peace are now being felt across the island region, as evidenced by the decreasing poverty rates in the Bangsamoro and the decision of former rebels to lay down their arms and return to the fold of the law, among others.

“This is the reason why the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) is employing cross-cutting strategies to implement an integrated, transparent, people-centered, and human rights-based peace and security policy,” Purisima said.

He also added that all of OPAPRU’s peacebuilding interventions, particularly in conflict-vulnerable and conflict-affected areas in Mindanao, are dovetailed to the current administration’s Philippine Development Plan 2023 – 2028.

In the implementation of the Bangsamoro peace process, he said the agency is focused on ensuring that former Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) combatants are able to successfully reintegrate into mainstream society. Vince Lopez