The peace process in Mindanao is mismanaged and too militarized, presidential candidate Jamby Madrigal said in last Tuesday’s presidential forum held at the Ateneo de Davao University (AdDU).
Responding to a question regarding their assessment on the peace process and what the alternatives are to sustain it, Madrigal said instead of truly working for peace, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo “has militarized Mindanao.”
“She used the military to terrorize Mindanao,” she said.
Madrigal said Mindanao should be the richest part of the Philippines because of its vast resources, but this was ruined by the decades-old conflict left unresolved until now.
She said Mrs. Arroyo’s peace policy agenda in Mindanao, instead of attaining peace, has resulted in the arrival of American troops and the proliferation of warlords and kidnap-for-ransom executors.
To sustain peace in Mindanao, the policy agenda in the island should be geared towards the upliftment of the lives of Mindanaoans.
“Dapat ang tunay na Mindanaon ang yumaman (It should be the true Mindanaoans who become rich),” she said.
For candidate John Carlos “JC” de los Reyes, the peace process in Mindanao is a failure because consultations are not participative.
He said the unstable peace and order situation in some parts of Mindanao is indicative of a failed peace process.
He said Mindanao stakeholders should be part in the consultations.
With massive consultations, peace will be achieved in Mindanao even just in a year, de los Reyes said.
To sustain peace, he wants “peace through progressive disarmament “ or a peaceful laying down of arms.
Senator Richard Gordon, for his part, said the peace process failed due to lack of consultations. He said the leadership should understand and respect the rights of all concerned in the Mindanao conflict to achieve unity.
“It is important to remember that we have to live as a country,” Gordon said, adding that he is pushing for “all out peace process” in Mindanao.
Candidate Nicanor Perlas said the failure of the peace process in Mindanao is obvious in the dismaying incidents in Mindanao such as the increasing number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) which has became greater than in Iraq due to unresolved conflicts.
He also cited the November 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre that saw 58 people killed.
Perlas said to achieve peace, government should pour sufficient budget for development in Mindanao and have the political will to address the problem of private armies.
Former Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. said Mindanao is confronted with various peace processes: for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and communists.
The complexities of the peace problems besetting Mindanao requires continued dialogues, Teodoro said. He pushed for localized peace talks to achieve true and lasting peace in Mindanao.
“Nobody can impose a paradigm of policy except the Mindanaoans themselves, and government should be there to support with development projects and to engage other countries like the BIMP-EAGA who want to help Mindanao,” he said.
Candidate Eddie Villanueva said government failed to show genuine sincerity in addressing the Mindanao conflict.
He said his political party Bangon Pilipinas will create a Genuine Peace Policy Commission to address the Mindanao political problems if he wins the elections.
He also plans to implement Article 18 of the Local Government Code that provides the setting up of an economic policy of shared income in Mindanao and to explore an integral system of government. Judy Quiros
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