Global political parties endorse Phl gov’t deal with MILF

MANILA, Philippines - Political parties in Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean and Africa have endorsed the framework agreement signed by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Former speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. said the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), representing Asia’s more than 300 ruling and opposition parties, expressed their support for the agreement during a meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan last December.

Liberal Party secretary-general Mel Senen Sarmiento and Rep. Rufus Rodriguez of the Centrist Democratic Party represented the country during the ICAPP meeting.

In a year-end report to President Aquino and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, De Venecia said the Centrist Asia-Pacific Democrats International (CAPDI), Latin American and Caribbean parties under COPPPAL and the African parties, aside from ICAPP, lauded the President for the framework agreement and called for the resumption of peace talks with communist rebels to complete the peace process.

The ICAPP standing committee, which De Venecia chairs, also met with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon in New York and reported on the creation of the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council (APRC), which the former speaker proposed.

De Venecia said APRC will try to assist Asian governments in resolving territorial, politico-religious and ethnic conflicts in the region.

De Venecia and ICAPP secretary-general Chung Eui-yong of South Korea and CAPDI secretary-general Sen. Mushahid Hussain Sayed of Pakistan also discussed with the UN chief the revival of interfaith dialogues amid surges in religious extremism and emergence of Muslim radicals due to the so-called Arab spring.