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Monday, May 12, 2003
Nene wants Mindanaoan to take Dureza's place
SENATOR Aquilino Q. Pimental batted Saturday for the appointment of another Mindanaoan to replace Jesus G. Dureza as chair of the government panel negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
In a brief talk with Davao media practitioners, Pimental said: "I think we should insist on somebody from Mindanao, who hopefully would be more knowledgeable about the problems facing Mindanao than anybody else."
"Jess Dureza should be replaced by somebody from Mindanao. And for that somebody to succeed, the intrigues, you know in the peace process, can be avoided and prevented, because back channeling only gives rise to backbiting."
He said back channeling and intrigues are "probably the unspoken reasons" for Dureza's resignation.
He also proposed that the GRP seek the assistance of the United States to broker the new peace negotiations.
"Instead of declaring the MILF as a terrorist organization following the Bush doctrine," he said, "we should ask the Americans to come as peace brokers."
He said there is need to start another peace negotiation because the Philippine government has already given up the negotiation brokered by Malaysia, "as far as I can perceive from the public pronouncements of the president (Mrs. Arroyo). She scuttled the peace process and Jess Dureza resigned. And so we are starting anew."
Historically, the government tried during the Ramos administration to seek the assistance of Libya, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, he said. That assistance while temporarily bringing about some respite in the fighting did not lay down the foundation for a just and lasting peace in Mindanao.
"Mr. Ramos went to Indonesia and sought the help of President Suharto. Again, apparently, while temporarily there was some respite, it did not last for long. And now under the government of Mrs. Gloria Arroyo, she went to seek the help of President Mahathir Mohammed of Malaysia and the fight goes on. So, I was just thinking that maybe this time, if we ask for the good offices of the only superpower in the world Monday which can use its clout not only as a world power but also an economic power, we probably could obtain the peace which has eluded us," Pimental said. AMA
(May 12, 2003 issue)
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