by Mai Gevera
Joining the 8th Mindanao Working Group meeting, Peace Adviser Anabelle Abaya expressed her intention of involving more women and indigenous people in the peace process.
Abaya believes that it is very natural for women to talk and work for peace.
“Thus, I’d like to harness this natural character of women to protect men from men.” she said.
Also, active involvement of the IPs is included in the priority strategies that the new peace adviser is implementing.
She admitted that there would be plenty of conversations with the IPs that the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process (OPAPP) will initiate as the talks continue to progress.
The OPAPP administration wanted to have a program involving people in the grassroots as this is one of the major recommendations which came out in the series of consultations of the people in conflict areas.
Abaya expressed optimism on the ongoing trend of the peace talks. Malacanang bared high hopes for the agreement between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) before the end of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s term.
Press secretary Cerge Remonde said that it is better for the MILF to seal a peace deal with the present administration as the latter consistently demonstrated desire to achieve lasting peace.
