DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Groups are up in arms against Malacañang’s supposed lobbying for President Aquino’s nomination to the Nobel Peace Prize, urging a top United Nations official, American actress Angelina Jolie, to come to Mindanao to see for herself why Aquino does not deserve the award.
Bayan Muna Representatives Neri Colmenares and Carlos Zarate, in a statement e-mailed to the Inquirer, said the situation in the Philippines was far from peaceful because of the policies of Aquino.
“It seems that the organization that nominated President Aquino was misinformed on the true situation on the ground and the real effect of President Aquino’s policies on the Filipino people,” the Bayan Muna statement said, after receiving reports that the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process has actively lobbied for Mr. Aquino to get the award and “may have convinced foreign organizations to nominate the President.”
Zarate said Malacañang could not cite as a reason to have Mr. Aquino nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize the recent peace agreement that the Aquino administration signed with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
Rights violations continue in Mindanao and thousands of civilians continue to flee their homes because of fighting there, Zarate said.
The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) said the President’s “self-nomination” to the Nobel Peace Prize “would be a desecration of the spirit of Nobel.”
“The idea of it propped up from his subordinates in Malacañang, hence, no doubt a self-nomination,” the MNLF said in its Facebook page.
The MNLF said the number of clashes in Mindanao increased under Mr. Aquino’s watch.
Bayan Muna said it would be best for Ms Jolie to visit Mindanao to personally see the sufferings of the people there.
“Let them see how hard it is to live in a tent city in Zamboanga and the rampant human rights violations in Talaingod communities, among others,” Zarate said.
“Let special envoy Jolie see for herself, and testify to the Nobel Peace Prize board, if President Aquino is indeed worthy of their award,” Zarate added. Germelina Lacorte, Inquirer Mindanao