Church group seeks withdrawal of Nobel bid for Aquino
BAGUIO CITY—An ecumenical group has expressed readiness to oppose a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize for President Aquino supposedly due to his peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The Ecumenical Advocacy Network on the Philippines (EANP), in a July 18 letter, said it supports the Aquino administration’s initiatives to end hostilities in Mindanao, but reports of continuing atrocities in the country indicated that nominating Mr. Aquino would not “reflect the spirit and intent of the Nobel Peace Prize.”
The letter was sent to Rasmus Hansson, member of the Norwegian Parliament and leader of the Green Party of Norway in Oslo.
Aquino was nominated by the Norway Green Party, according to the EANP letter, which was sent to the Inquirer on Monday.
The letter was signed by retired American professors Tim McGloin and Paul Bloom; Filipino-American Meg Layese, who heads a Philippine studies group in Minnesota; the United States-based Group 37 of Amnesty International; the Human Rights Watch based in Washington; and the International Bureau of Labor Relations.
They said the Bangsamoro deal may “formally end this long history of armed hostilities and can help reduce human rights violations in Mindanao.”
“However, we must respectfully request that you withdraw your nomination of [Mr. Aquino] and the negotiating team for the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro for the Nobel Peace Prize for 2014,” the EANP said. Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon
