Gibo: Gov't must be conduit for peace

MANILA, Philippines - The government must play its role as a conduit to the peace process but the ultimate solution must come from the people of Mindanao, former defense secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said the other day.

Teodoro delivered a lecture last Friday before law students at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM) entitled “Pers-pectives on Law and Public Service.”

He said the common belief is that the government sits on the negotiating table with two principal groups – the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front. He said this is the formal aspect of the peace talks, but there are

informal and contributory aspects which people need to know.

“People have often asked, what is the solution to the Mindanao problem? And answer straightforwardly, I don’t know. Why? Because the solution ultimately has to come from the people of Mindanao who have to live there daily, who have to make a go at making their communities more peaceful, and more prosperous,” Teodoro said.

According to the former defense chief, the government should lead a peaceful dialogue to attain the peace process, ensure infrastructure development and assistance in rehabilitating the communities in Mindanao and prevent armed conflict and violence.

He said the MILF and the government appear to be negotiating quite successfully because there is an absence of conflict at the moment although there is the breakaway group of Ameril Umbra Kato, who is now creating trouble and hampering the peace process.

Teodoro believes that the root cause of the Mindanao problem mostly involved land disputes.

“All our troubles in this country political or otherwise ultimately should be settled in a transparent, impartial and legal way in order for us to proceed on the basis of rule of law, and on the basis of stability of a decision,” he said.

Teodoro reminded the PLM law students that the Philippines must give an impression of a legally sound country in order to attract public and private investments.