Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate warned that the localized peace talks proposed by the Duterte administration might be turned into a money-making venture for local government units (LGUs) and the military and police.
To support his claim, Zarate cited an allegedly unimplemented project of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“A classic case in point is what the AFP did with the P192.5 million Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (Pamana) program in Maguindanao that had been released in 2012 for supposed road projects under the unconstitutional Disbursement Acceleration Program but have remained unimplemented,” Zarate said.
“These types of anomalies along with the collection of bounty for fake surrenderees would become rampant with the supposed localization of peace talks,” he added.
Recently, photos surfaced on social media showing alleged former members of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendering to authorities. However, leftists and activists were quick to point the obvious differences between the flag of the surenderees and the official NPA flag.
“This also happened in preveious administrations that used an order of battle or hitlist against activists and critics of the government,” Zarate said in Filipino.
“Back then, there were 1,206 victims of extrajudicial killings and 206 were victims of forced disappearances because of Oplan Bantay Laya. But up to now, killings and forced disappearances continue under Oplan Kapayapaan,” he added.
Zarate asked the current administration to stop its plan to have a localized peace talks, as it would not solve the root problems of insurgency.
“Stop these localized peace talks as they would only be a source of money for corrupt members of the AFP, PNP and LGUs,” he said. “They won’t solve the bigger problems of Filipinos – like lack of land, poverty, and other national problems.”
“Piecemeal and patchwork localized peace talks won’t do. So it’s better to reopen peace talks with the NDFP [National Democratic Front of the Philippines],” he added. /atm