The Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) is very concerned with the replacement last weekend of Secretary Silvestre Afable as chair of the Government Panel talking peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The Initiatives for International Dialogue (IID) is very concerned with the replacement last weekend of Secretary Silvestre Afable as chair of the Government Panel talking peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Certainly, Secretary Afable’s indisputable commitment and assiduousness to push the talks forward were key factors that enthused and brought the peace negotiations between the GRP and the MILF to where it is now—the homestretch.
IID believes that the replacement of Afable, which came at a time when everyone was already looking forward to a final peace settlement between the government and the MILF, would adversely affect the momentum of the talks. Whoever will be Afable’s replacement has to go through a confidence-building process not only amongst GRP peace panel members and staff, but more so with counterparts from the MILF- and with the teeming faceless, nameless victims of all the Mindanao wars.
Having witnessed how Afable built the confidence of the stakeholders to the peace process and, arduously worked to keep the negotiations on track, we could not see any compelling cause for the Government Chief Negotiator’s cavalier replacement.
Considering the above premises, we call on the Arroyo government to reconsider its decision. This would be one of those rare retractions that would be most welcome.
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