DAVAO CITY – Incoming Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza urged Filipinos to stay the course after the success of the preliminary talks between the government and the National Democratic Front in Oslo, Norway.
The exploratory talks held on June 14 and 15 resulted to the signing of the Joint Statement where both panels agree to resume the formal talks next month.
“After our 2-day Oslo parley, there is now evident optimism and trust. There is mutual enthusiasm and hope, not only amongst us negotiators across the table, but most significantly, among us all Filipinos , in whose behalf all these efforts are being done in the first place,” Dureza posted on his Facebook page.
Dureza also described their “encounter” as “a reunion of sorts of old friends on both sides of the negotiating table but whose efforts in various times and climes in the past proved futile.”
However, Dureza believes that the peace process will be given a chance under the incoming administration of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.
Dureza admitted that the road to peace will not be easy.
“There will expectedly be humps and bumps along the way. But there is a destination that we must all inevitably reach,” he said.
“Our new President is taking the decisive lead and has shown us the way. Let us all stay the course,” Dureza said. (davaotoday.com)
