Yes for Peace submits refined working papers, proposal to Pres. Duterte, NSA Esperon to end Red armed conflict; swears-in more provincial, city coordinators
CALOOCAN CITY, May 19 (PIA) -- Yes for Peace-Bayanihan ng Bayan (YFP-BB) proponents have submitted to President Rodrigo Roa Durterte and to National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes C. Esperon Jr. their working papers and proposals to help end the 52-year old communist insurgency in the country.
This, amid the designation of alleged members of the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NDF) as terrorists, YFP-BB organizer Ernesto Angeles Alcanzare and concurrent secretary-general and spokesperson Commissioner Yusoph J. Mando of the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) shared their strategy to actively involve the participation of Filipinos in ending the communist armed conflict.
In their letter, Alcanzare and Mando said, “the refined Yes for Peace-Bayanihan ng Bayan campaign can be an instrument of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) to mobilize the pro-active involvement and collective participation of the Filipino people to democratically support the Whole-of-Nation approach to end the local communist armed conflicts stipulated in Executive Order No. 70" and attached the following documents for the perusal and consideration of the top officials of the NTF-ELCAC:
- Introduction
- Vision, Mission, Objectives, Goal and Strategy
- Arouse, Organize and Mobilize the Filipino People to End All Armed Conflicts
- Proposed Highlight Activities, 2021 and Road Map
- People Empowerment Through Hyperlinks of Existing Community-Based Peace and Development Programs and Projects of National
- Government Agencies
- Legal Bases (Pre-Duterte Administration)
- Legal Bases (Duterte Administration)
- Historical Highlights
Notably, YFP-BB has adopted but tweaked the Arouse-Organize-Mobilize (AOM) strategy used by the CPP-NPA to recruit the youth and convince the people that armed revolution is the only means towards meaningful and lasting social change that can lead to peace.
YFP-BB seeks to "arouse" the people through an “open-referendum” among Filipinos, 10 years and older, that could be undertaken through the self-learning module system currently being used by all schools nationwide.
Atty. Domingo B. Alidon, President of the Department of Education – National Employees Union (DepEd NEU) for his part said, “We believe that conducting the peace consciousness and awareness raising phase or the open referendum of our campaign through the self-learning module system that has already been set-up in practically all schools is the most cost-effective and resource-efficient way to reach out to and get the Filipino people involved in the Whole of Nation approach to end the armed conflicts and arrest terrorism.”
“Of course, we would need Secretary Leonor Briones to issue a DepEd Memorandum to get it done,” Johnny Balawag, Chairman of the National Board of Trustees of the DepEd NEU said, “It would be a fitting contribution of the department towards the realization of the goals and objectives of the NTF-ELCAC.”
Efren Alcera, Secretary-General of DepEd NEU said, “We shall once again call on the 50,000 members of our union to help optimize compliance to the DepEd Memo that Secretary Briones may issue.”
Jocelyn del Mundo, a professor at the College of Arts and Sciences University of the Philippines for her part said, “Getting the youth involved in the process can be the key to put a stop to their recruitment into taking-up arms against the duly-elected government, a clear violation of the Rights of Children.”
According to the proposal, Barangays nationwide shall be organized and declared as Yes for Peace Zones based on the results of the “open referendum.”
“The declaration of Yes for Peace zones will be a strong foundation upon which communities would stand in our effort to counter-act terrorism,” Cosanie M. Derogongon, Director of the Bureau of Peace and Conflict Resolution of the NCMF suggested, “We believe that the people’s documented consensus rejecting the use of arms to pursue anyone’s political, religious or ideological beliefs will force those pushing for armed revolution to rethink their position and hopefully drop what they have unsuccessfully pursued for more than 52 years.”
Finally, the mobilization phase of the campaign is grounded upon the fact that the government has long had a full menu of programs and projects designed to bring about peace and development.
“Simply put, we are proposing that the people be fully informed of the existing government programs and projects by setting-up free sources of hyperlinks to these and posting the same in all government websites,” Alpha Damarinas, an educator and an Incorporator of Yes for Peace, Inc revealed, “This will provide the barangays to identify and customize peace and development programs and projects and add muscle to the Bottom-Up planning policy of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the AmBisyon 2040 of the National Economic Development Board.”
Meanwhile, the ranks of Provincial and City volunteer-coordinators for YFP-BB are silently growing.
This, after volunteers from different areas of the country have visited Mando, YFP-BB Secretary General at his office at the NCMF located in Quezon City to sign-up and take their oaths.
“Forgive those who hurt you, the only way to get some peace during these trying times is to forgive these people,” Mando urged the officers and of the Tuguegarao Ybanag Consumers Cooperative and the Jaycees International in a Zoom meeting, “It is not because they deserve it but because you need to have some peace in your life.”
The recent addition to the growing ranks of YFP-BB is an interesting mix of Filipinos with different religious beliefs and persuasions include the following: Coast Guard Commodore Gregorio Adel, Jr of Batangas; Vice Mayor Edwin Jomadiao of Alang-Alang, Leyte; Noel Sia, President of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) of La Paz, Leyte; Raul Perpinam of Tacloban City; Grace Banas, a realtor of San Mateo, Rizal; Marle Figueroa of Tacloban City; Nestor Tabungan, Jr. of Samar;
Likewise, those who expressed their commitment include Rowilo Neri of Eastern Visayas; Abulkhair Mohammad Jamaani, a Civil Engineer of General Trias, Cavite; Ahmad Sawadjan Hamja, a Social Worker from Maharlika Village, Taguig; Ponciano Javuli Campos of Quezon Province; Roweno Celeveria Peroy of Negros Occidental; Haroun Joves Mahilum og Region IV-A; Jalal Jamil of Quiapo, Manila; Mark Gonzalo dela Cruz; Peter John B. Barnedo; Chester James Macaraeg; Jaedan S. Fetalino; Jonathan A. Baquiran; Nurhanoden Z. Mama; and Laut O. Guimbaan.
Commodore Adel expressed his gratitude for having been appointed as Coordinator for Batangas and committed, “I will work tirelessly to uplift the organization’s progress since Yes for Peace – Bayanihan ng Bayan can be used to resolve the problems in the community and the country as well.”
Rowilo Neri and Mafrie Figueroa intimated, “I joined Yes for Peace to be an instrument of the government to solve the peace problem and curb corruption.”
“Joining Yes for Peace is a good approach to end armed conflict,” Nestor Tabungan said, “It’s a dream of every Filipino for a peaceful Philippines.
It can be recalled that President Duterte wrote in a message, “I recognize this noble undertaking of Yes for Peace – Bayanihan ng Bayan because it promotes a newfound culture of harmony and cooperation among our communities and across our regions... Together, let us show our solidarity in effecting real and lasting change in our society.”
For his part, Alcanzare expressed optimism that their proposal will merit favorable responses as well as the pro-active support of the NTF-ELCAC through President Duterte and Secretary Esperon, “We are certain that they are with us the belief that the government cannot end the armed conflicts alone. The pro-active involvement and collective participation of the Filipino people are the keys to address and solve our problems as a nation.” (PIA NCR)
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