Duterte still hoping for peace with MILF, MNLF
Even as he has cancelled the peace negotiations with the communists, President Duterte has not given up on achieving peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
Duterte said the problem on extremist terrorism in Mindanao would not end if the government fails to address the concerns of the two groups.
“We will pursue it to the logical end,” he said, adding the Philippines will never achieve peace if the government won’t address the problem in Mindanao.
“Hindi matatapos ‘yan if we do not talk about peace. It has now become territorial. It is not religion,” he said.
Duterte issued the statement during a ceremony marking the 84th anniversary celebration of the Department of Labor and Employment in Bulacan.
“Pero ayusin natin ‘to kasi pag hindi, (We have to fix this, otherwise) if we fail and a rebellion erupts in Mindanao, the Islamic State (IS) and the extremists might come in and take advantage of the situation,” the President said.
He said the Maranaos can have their own territory if they want to.
Duterte shrugged off critics’ claims that he is a fascist or a murderer, and professed his love for his country.
He said the issue of peace with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) could take a back seat for now.
He said chief peace negotiator Secretary Silvestre Bello III and his team could rest for now.
“Bello could always resume talks with the NPA some other time,” Duterte said.
Meanwhile, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the Bangsamoro women are crafting an executive order (EO) establishing the National Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Commission on the Bangsamoro (NTJRCB), presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza said yesterday.
Bangsamoro women leaders earlier called for the establishment of NTJRCB and sought for their inclusion in decision-making.
Dureza addressed the call by creating a partnership between the Bangsamoro women and the OPAPP to craft an EO that will be presented to President Duterte.
The United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women (UNWomen), government agencies, civic groups, academe, international development organizations and Bangsamoro women leaders adapted proactive approaches toward the development of women empowerment and gender sensitive policies.
During a two-day conference on gender-sensitive transitional justice, Dureza stressed the importance of acknowledging women victims of armed-conflict to help them regain their dignity.
“Every time I go to Marawi to talk to the internally displaced persons. I tell them it’s not easy to heal the wounds if you don’t express them. If you continue to hold grudges, nothing will happen,” Dureza said.
At the same event, OPAPP director Pamela Ann PadillaSalvan talked about sustainable peace through healing and justice.
“Transitional justice is not just about the mere passing, transition or movement of time. It is about connecting the historical past to the transforming present that would create a shared future. It is about remembering and taking lessons from the past that will be useful in the future,” Salvan said.
Under the normalization annex, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) included a provision on transitional justice, a critical component toward strengthening the rule of law in a postconflict setting as well as in peacebuilding.
For the Bangsamoro women, it is imperative that women’s right to access truth, justice and reparations is recognized in order to achieve and sustain peace and ensure accountability for crimes committed against them.