Department of Peace

As much as possible, presidential adviser Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr. believes the creation of a Department of Peace, Reconciliation and Unity will secure the permanent and lasting peace pacts entered into by the Philippine government with various rebel and insurgent groups in the Philippines. Galvez disclosed he would recommend to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. (PBBM) to endorse to Congress the passage of a law that will establish a line Department of Peace out of the existing Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).

Speaking in our Kapihan sa Manila Bay news forum last Wednesday, Galvez underscored the need to institutionalize the government’s peace processes undertaken by the past administrations up to present. Galvez justified the creation of a Department of Peace as a solid commitment of the government to continue to build upon the gains of peace and development across the country.

Galvez cited the PBBM administration is sustaining these formal peace agreements entered into by his predecessors with a new round of amnesty proclamations. The latest amnesty grants cover individuals belonging to four particular rebels and insurgent groups in the Philippines. Galvez thanked the 19th Congress for the speedy approval of the four Amnesty Proclamations issued by PBBM in March last year.

According to Galvez, the PBBM Proclamations also created the seven-man National Amnesty Commission (NAC) headed by chairperson Leah Tanodra-Armamento. The NAC chairperson who joined us in our conversations about the peace process at the Kapihan sa Manila Bay enumerated the four amnesty grants of PBBM. These were contained in the following Congress-approved Proclamations:

• 403 for the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas-Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB);

• 404 for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF);

• 405 for the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); and,

• 406 for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The NAC is under the OPAPRU, Armamento cited. Assisting her are two regular commissioners and four Cabinet Secretaries as ex officio members. The four Cabinet members in the NAC are, namely, Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.; Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos; Department of Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla; and Galvez.

Of the four ex officio members of the NAC, Galvez is the only Cabinet-ranked Secretary without line Department. The OPAPRU is attached directly under the Office of the President.

Galvez welcomed the appointment of Senator Sonny Angara as new Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary, citing the OPAPRU has been working for the establishment of peace education centers. Angara took over from Vice President Sara Duterte whose resignation takes effect on July 19. It is not clear yet if Angara will also become the co-vice chairman of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

Galvez admitted he could not ascertain yet if the NTF-ELCAC –which is chaired by PBBM – will be proposed to be absorbed into the planned creation of Department of Peace.

Except for the CPP-NPA-NDF, the Philippine government had already forged formal peace agreements with three other insurgent groups. Former President Joseph Estrada forged peace pact with the RPMP-RPA-ABB. The late President Fidel Ramos signed formal peace agreement with the MNLF. While the late President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and former President Rodrigo Duterte, respectively entered and completed the Comprehensive Agreement with the Bangsamoro with the MILF.

Galvez explained the creation of a Department of Peace will also change the present “pitiful situation” of all the 297 employees of the OPAPRU. All of them, he noted, are working as “contractual” workers, or on a job-order status who are required to renew their contracts every six months. Even those under plantilla positions from those holding Director-ranks are contractual who have to renew their appointments every end of December, he added.

Galvez lamented the OPAPRU workers perform jobs he described as “agaw-buhay,” or life threatening. Not covered with government benefits such as hazard pay, they risk their lives in visiting far-flung parts of the country, including former conflict areas being monitored by the OPAPRU.

Currently, Galvez revealed the OPAPRU is working on a draft bill he will endorse to PBBM for consideration.

“We are now looking into some engagements with Congress for the possibility of creating the Department of peace reconciliation and unity,” Galvez disclosed. “We really need a line agency for peace. There is a need for the creation of an institution for peace that will permanently delve on peace engagements. Like what President Marcos said, peace is not a monthly or weekly engagement. It is an engagement for life,” he stressed.

Todate, the Marcos administration is on the state of preparation for post-peace process because it is already implementing the “transformation” phase for the former combatants of the MILF, MNLF, the RPMP-RPA-ABB and former rebels of the CPP-NPA-NDF. According to him, the OPAPRU has proposed a total of P7-billion budget for next year that will largely fund the “transformation” of former rebels and former combatants.

“We already have an initial coordination with Congress. This is based on the best practices with other countries like Colombia which has the Department of Peace,” Galvez noted.

Incidentally, Galvez earlier attended the Annual Peace Forum in Oslo, Norway where he was invited to share the peace process experience of the Philippine government. At the Oslo Peace Forum, the Philippines and Colombia were featured as “success stories” in negotiating peace with various rebel groups in their respective countries.

From Oslo, Galvez also flew to Switzerland to represent PBBM at the just concluded International Peace Summit that principally tackled the world efforts to end the Ukraine-Russia war. Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky flew to Manila last June 3 to invite PBBM to join this Peace Summit. In behalf of the Philippine government, Galvez disclosed, he signed the Peace Summit declaration.

A Department of Peace will certainly enable the succeeding administrations to spread the peace dividends benefitting generations of Filipinos who will enjoy the fruits of these formal peace agreements.