2020 Year-End Report on Foreign Policy
IN the 2020 Year-End Report of the Duterte Administration, the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson headed by Presidential Spokesperson Sec. Harry Roque Jr., reported the following milestones in foreign policy.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte represented the Philippines and articulated the position of the country in various international platforms. 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly The President addressed the High-Level General Debate of the 75th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) from the Malacañang Golf Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on Sep. 22, 2020 (New York date).
36th and 37th ASEAN Summits and Related Summits
President Duterte gave his intervention as he joined other leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member countries during the 36th Asean Summit video conference at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on June 28, 2020.
Aqaba Process Virtual Meeting
President Duterte delivered his remarks as he joined several world leaders and representatives from the United Nations (UN) and international organizations during the Aqaba Process Virtual Meeting on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Covid-19) Response, hosted by the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan via video conference, at the Malago Clubhouse in Malacañang on Sep. 2, 2020.
2020 APEC Economic Leaders Meeting
President Duterte joined his fellow leaders from the AsiaPacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries in the virtual 27th APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting at the Malacañang Palace on Nov. 20, 2020.
WITH just over a year before President Rodrigo Duterte’s six-year term ends in June 2022, two of his promises on his peace agenda have been delivered.
First is the enactment of the Bangsamoro Organic Law (BOL) which paved the way for the creation of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
The establishment of the BARMM has been a major achievement for both the Mindanaoan President and the country as this happened after almost two decades of peace negotiations with rebel groups, mainly the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), composed of minority Muslims fighting for self-determination in Mindanao.
On Feb. 26, 2019, the Bangsamoro Transition Authority officially replaced the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) that was established in 1989 after a majority of the Muslim communities voted in a plebiscite in favor of the BOL in pursuit of lasting peace in the Southern Philippines.
Part of the peace pact is the decommissioning of MILF combatants.
MILF Chairman and BARMM Chief Minister Ahod Ibrahim disclosed that 13,500 of the 40,000 MILF fighters were already decommissioned as of January 2021.
Anti-terrorism law
Another promise Duterte made in relation to his administration’s peace and order agenda is to strengthen counter-terrorism programs by amending various laws on terrorism.
On July 18, 2020, this promise was fulfilled after Republic Act 11479 or the AntiTerrorism Act of 2020 which aims to combat insurgencies took effect.
The law, which repealed the Human Security Act of 2007, the old anti-terrorism law of the Philippines, seeks to prevent, prohibit and penalize terrorism.
However, since its inception and passage, rights groups have warned that the administration could use the law to prosecute political opponents and stifle free speech.
Key government officials including Duterte himself defended RA 11479 saying lawabiding citizens should not fear the legislation as it targets terrorists and communist insurgents.
“For the law-abiding citizen of this country, I am addressing you with all sincerity, do not be afraid if you are not a terrorist,” Duterte said.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the government will ensure that the law will not be used to infringe on human rights.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. for his part said that the law has “enough safeguards against abuse.”
At present, 37 petitions have been against the law.
The Supreme Court began hearing just this month the oral arguments on the petitions which challenge the constitutionality of the controversial law.
CPP-NDF
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Duterte had promised to resolve Muslim and communist insurgencies before he leaves office.
While the peace talks with the MILF had bore fruits – evident to this is the decommissioning
of thousands of MILF combatants – the Duterte administration apparently failed in making peace with the Communist Party of the Philippines National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) and its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA).
The Maoist insurgency has spanned over five decades and is one of the world’s longest ongoing armed conflicts to date.
After the cancellation of the peace negotiations with the CPP-NDF in November 2017, the government has intensified its efforts to run after communist leaders being blamed for numerous rights violations.
Murder charges were filed against CPP founders and leaders Jose Maria Sison and several others for the Inopacan, Leyte massacre in the 1980s where communist rebels were allegedly killed in a purge.
The Philippine government also designated the CPP-NDF as a terror group.
After the shelving of the peace negotiations, Duterte also issued Executive Order No. 70. which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The NTF-ELCAC was tasked to harmonize all efforts of the government to address causes of armed conflict with communists.
Even as the government cancelled the peace negotiations with the CPP-NDF, the administration allowed for localized peace talks or negotiations between local communist rebels and local government units.
Meanwhile, the Duterte administration agreed to implement the remaining commitments contained in the Tripartite Review Process of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), another Muslim separatist movement in Mindanao.
In December 2019, Duterte appointed MNLF Founding Chairman Nur Misuari as the country’s Special Economic Envoy on Islamic Affairs to the Organization of the Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to “accelerate the implementation of the peace agreements.”
Duterte and Misuari agreed to continue pushing for a federal government, also a campaign promise of the President yet to be fulfilled.
Amnesty for rebels
Just this month, in an apparent move to convince more rebels to lay down their arms, Duterte granted amnesty to members of the MILF, MNLF, the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade and the Communist Terrorist Group.
According to the proclamations dated Feb. 5, 2021, members of groups charged for acts committed in pursuit of political beliefs who will apply for amnesty must admit to his or her guilt of the offense and must turn over their firearms to the government.
The presidential proclamations said the amnesty was in accordance with the peace policy of the government.
The amnesty, however, will not be granted to those who have been charged under the
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Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020.
Duterte also formed recently the National Amnesty Commission (NAC) which is tasked to process applications for amnesty of rebel returnees.
“This is part of the efforts toward peace, where we offer the hand of peace to some groups so they can go back to normal and peaceful lives,” Roque told reporters on Feb. 16.
Just this Feb. 22, the President and his Cabinet also approved measures to fast-track the distribution of 6,406.6 hectares of land in the Cagayan Valley, Bicol, Eastern Visayas and Davao regions to former rebels.
Military and police
Speaking before troops in Jolo, Sulu in January, Duterte expressed confidence that the administration, through state forces, will succeed in its fight against terrorism and insurgency.
He vowed full support to the men and women in uniform risking their lives to deter those who disrupt the peace and order in the country.
“With your support, I remain confident that we will prevail over the challenges that confront us. Be assured that the entire Filipino people are behind you as you secure genuine and lasting change for our motherland,” Duterte said.
Included among the promises Duterte made in relation to maintaining peace and order in the country is to make the lives of uniformed men comfortable, ensure that they are provided with benefits and armed with equipment so they can perform their duties effectively.
Duterte fulfilled his vow to double the salaries of soldiers and policemen.
Duterte also approved procurements for military equipment and vowed to pursue the full implementation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program to boost the military’s anti-terror capabilities.