Palace: OPAPP Will Continue Consultations With Stakeholders

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has been ordered to continue consulting with stakeholders should the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) fail to make it the House of Representatives, a Palace official said on Sunday.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the instruction from President Aquino was course through Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa.

“Through Executive Secretary (Paquito) Ochoa, the President has directed the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) to firm up in consultation with stakeholders an action plan for promoting the peace process in the transition period during the remainder of the current administration’s term and up to the assumption of the next administration,” said Coloma in an interview over Radyo ng Bayan.

Sec. Coloma also noted the message he received from OPAPP head Secretary Teresita Quintos-Deles, saying there is a need to do consultations with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“Ito ang pahayag ni Secretary Deles: “We will still need to do consultations including and especially with the MILF, but measures will include strengthening existing peace bodies and mechanisms to include the Bangsamoro Transition Commission, ceasefire and other joint security mechanisms, joint bodies for socio-economic interventions”,” said Coloma.

“We would want to operationalize the recommendations of the transitional justice and reconciliation commission regarding the healing of the wounds of war, and moving towards sharpened interfaith and multicultural dialogue and cooperation, and very important, undertaking the necessary groundwork to ensure the success of the legal political track in the next administration. We need to do all that is possible to ensure the full implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro beyond this administration,” Deles said as quoted by Coloma.

Coloma said the statement of Deles is consistent with President Aquino’s order.

“Ang dagdag na pahayag mula kay Secretary Deles na naaayon doon sa kautusan ni Pangulo na ipinahatid sa pamamagitan ni Executive Secretary Ochoa na ipagpatuloy ng OPAPP ‘yung konsultasyon at pakikipag-ugnayan sa mga stakeholders, at ‘yung masigasig na pagpapatupad ng mga aksyon na patuloy pang magtataguyod sa prosesong pangkapayapaan,” said Coloma. (PCOO/PND)