EDITORIAL

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Saturday, January 21, 2017
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AS THE FORMAL peace talks begin in Rome, Italy between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), we call on the Filipino people to support this endeavor. Peace is a concern of everyone. The talks are also an opportunity to address the needs of the ordinary Filipino.

For many, government is viewed as a bureaucratic obstacle that fails in delivering adequate basic services. Patronage politics has pinched access to services, leaving many disenfranchised and eroding even a façade of public reliability and accessibility.  Especially in the rural areas, farmers often receive few, if any, government services.  The peace talks should be a robust forum for bringing forward the needs of the poor, oppressed, marginalized and exploited.  These needs and the dreams of our people can be placed front-and-center in a common effort for meaningful change in our nation.

We should not overlook the already signed Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) that lays out mechanisms for bringing the GRP and the NDFP into shared vision and action for pursuing the respect for human rights.  By insisting that CARHRIHL is fully implemented and actively utilized, we forge the way toward peace and justice.

Holding perpetrators of human rights violations accountable and insisting on restitution and rectification of misdoings through CARHRIHL can break the climate of impunity.  This is essential, as impunity that plagues our nation fosters threats, harassment and violations of human rights in marginalized and exploited communities.  CARHRIHL insists the protection and respect of civilians.

The peace talks have thus far exhibited potential for addressing the concerns of the Filipino people.  Whether we are professionals, students, farmers, workers, government workers, business people or urban poor, we should take notice of this hallmark moment to engage peace-building in our nation. 

The conflict between the GRP and the NDFP will only truly be resolved if we address its roots. By bringing ourselves close to what is happening in the peace talks, we can participate in further shaping a shared vision of a vibrantly democratic and productive society — a society which includes the marginalized, frees the exploited, and gives justice to the poor.  

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