DAVAO CITY – Peace advocates under Kapayapaan network has challenged Presidential aspirants to take a stand on armed conflict.
Lito Manalili, spokesperson of Kapayapaan, called on all candidates to “uphold and honor Hague Joint Declaration which provides the framework in addressing the roots of the armed conflict. Both parties should respect what they have signed and go back to the negotiating table without preconditions.”
It also issued a challenge to Vice President Jejomar Binay to “go beyond” his recent statement that he would pursue peace talks “recognizing the need to address root causes of armed conflict”.
Manalili described Binay’s statement as a “breath of fresh air” but said he should “go beyond general motherhood statements and uphold and support previously signed bilateral agreements such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig).”
Kapayapaan also challenged presidential candidates, including Binay to take a stand on the internal displacement of civilians in conflict areas and take concrete steps to address the sufferings of civilians, especially women and children.
Manalili asks on “what is his [Binay] stand on the killings of our Lumads in Mindanao by rampaging military and paramilitary forces? What is his stand on the use of paramilitary forces for the protection of mining interests? What is his stand on the arrest and detention of NDFP consultants in violation of Jasig?”
In a statement, Kapayapaan said that they commend Senator Loren Legarda’s stand on the resumption of GPH-NDF peace talks. After the September 1 incident in Lianga, Surigao del Sur, where almost 3,000 lumads seek refuge at the Tandag City Sports Center in Surigao, Legarda as the chairperson of the Committee on Cultural Communities filed Senate Resolution No. 1575 which will seek senate to probe on the killings in the communities in Surigao. (davaotoday.com)
