Wednesday, March 28, 2007 Military sets guidelines for primacy of peace By Ben O. Tesiorna
THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has issued its policy guidelines for all its members in the field as response to the call to uphold the primacy of the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
The new guidelines were submitted by the AFP to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process for final review and consideration.
In a telephone interview, Secretary Jesus Dureza said he already had a copy of the AFP guidelines but refused to divulge details, saying he will still have to consult it with the President if it will be released to the public or be treated as an "internal document."
General Mohammad Dolorfino, chairman of the Adhoc Joint Action Group of the government-Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities, earlier said AFP chief of staff General Hermogenes Esperon will issue soon strengthened policy guidelines that upholds the primacy of the peace process with the MILF.
Dolorfino said the new guideline will be a holistic approach framed towards the realization of a comprehensive, just, enduring and peace resolution of the conflict in the southern Philippines.
He said "using security force cannot solve or end the conflict" as he admitted that the AFP had been conducting military operations for so many years but the problem still remains.
Dolorfino added the AFP could not allow that the achievement of tactical objectives would be at the expense of the demise of the peace process.
"Military action and success must be equated with its coherence to the strategic policy and objective of the national government that is putting a just end to the peace process with the MILF," Dolorfino said in a report posted at the MILF's official website, luwaran.com.
