The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has intensified the government’s peace efforts with rebel groups, particularly the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF).
As a result of Former OPAPP Secretary Avelino Razon’s relentless pursuit for peace, the government and the MILF have agreed to create an International Contact Group (ICG) to pave the way for the revival of the stalled peace talks.
Razon said that despite the continuing impasse in the negotiations with the CPP/NPA/NDF, parallel channels of engagement continued to be explored in the pursuit of the peace process through intensified human rights monitoring work; sustained support to community-based peace initiatives; sustained linkages with peace stakeholders; and continued implementation of confidence-building measures.
In compliance with the government’s new paradigm on the peace process focusing on one that is centered with rebel groups to community dialogues and the integration of Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) as a rule of engagement of the government in peace negotiation with rebel groups.
OPAPP has established a DDR center tasked to provide planning and technical support, policy advisory and program design input in the efforts to accomplish the renewed peace initiatives with various rebel groups. (PIA)
