ABANG Lingkod party-list Representative Stephen Paduano said he is hopeful that the closure agreement between the national government and the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Bongcayao Brigade will be signed under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
“I am sure that if the President (will be) well informed about the agreement that was reached more than 15 years ago, there is no reason he will not sign the closure agreement,” said Paduano, the former national commander of the RPA-ABB said.
Paduano added that a consultative backdoor meeting between the RPA-ABB and Secretary Jesus Dureza of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process is ongoing in Manila.
“So let’s wait for the results,” he said.
The peace agreement between the government and the RPA-ABB was signed in year 2000 during the term of former President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
“We have completed the whole process, (we’re) about 90 percent already and the profiling of the members of the RPA-ABB was also done,” Paduano said.
Party-list system
Meanwhile, Paduano said he is amenable to the plan of President Duterte to dissolve the party-list system to be included in the amendments of the Constitution.
“With a new Constitution, I will insist: no party-list,” the President said, adding that party-lists “abused” the system, with the rich organizing groups of their own.
Paduano said he has been advocating for a unitary federal government with two-party system to do away with the political dynasty.