“Voice out your desire for peace,” Philippine Army 10th Infantry Division commander, Major General Rafael Valencia urged the public amidst reports of incidents viewed to disrupt peace and stability.
Guesting at Tagum Biz Talk at Big 8, Valencia pointed out that asserting something “need not be done through arms and violence but through peaceful means”. He viewed it as appropriate to let the people “voice out their opinion” especially their desire for peace.
“As a community, you just voice your desire for peace,” he emphasized when asked about his opinion regarding the cry for peace of some sectors in Davao Oriental that was triggered by the killing last December of Copertino Banugan, a Mandaya tribal chieftain of Sitio Sangab, Barangay Pichon in the Municipality of Caraga.
Valencia also urged the people to openly support the peace process that the Philippine government is engaging with the Communist Party of the Philippines New People’s Army (CPP NPA) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front saying, even President Rodrigo Duterte “is bending backwards to accommodate the rebel groups”.
He revealed that members of the Philippine national government panel are in Rome for the 3rd round of talks with the CPP NPA, and that they are hoping to strike a bilateral ceasefire agreement in August this year.
He viewed the bilateral ceasefire agreement as important as it would define the “prohibited and provocative acts”.
Noting that the much bigger table of peace negotiation is spread throughout the Filipino community, Valencia reiterated his call for people to support the peace process, and he shared his hopes for issues and concerns of the rebel groups to be resolved in a peaceful manner. (PIA 11/ Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)
