Words as ammunition

That was quite a mouthful Sen. Chiz Escudero unleashed against presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita “Ging” Deles, and by extension, on the P-Noy administration’s peace policy.

Condemning the recent “donation” of P5 million as support for  the Bangsamoro Leadership and Management Institute or BLMI, delivered during P-Noy’s meeting with MILF Chair Al Haj Murad in Japan last August, Escudero hinted that the money could have been used for other purposes, particularly in the recent armed clashes between soldiers and MILF forces.

Indeed, on AM radio, commentators began computing how many high-powered rifles P5 million could buy, implying the government fund was used to buy weapons to kill our soldiers. Never mind that there is no proof this is what happened, no paper trail, and that the MILF itself has said it could credibly account for how the money was spent for the purpose it was meant.

Escudero laid the “fault” for the donation at Deles’ door, saying that even if the establishment of the institute had been part of previous agreements, she still had the discretion to cancel the grant outright.

In a statement, Deles clarified that the BLMI was “conceptualized and discussed in negotiations between the government and the MILF in 2006,” and that during subsequent exploratory talks in 2007, it was agreed to “fast-track” the institute’s establishment.

BLMI was formally established in 2008, with the help of the Development Academy of the Philippines (a government body), which helped design the nature and function of the institute and even helped it acquire a legal personality through registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

President Aquino’s decision to grant the P5-million financial assistance, said Deles, “was made on the basis not only of it being an agreement that the government is bound to uphold, but also because he personally believes that this is an investment worth taking if there will be a shift in paradigm, from a culture of war to a culture of peace, cooperation and good governance among the Bangsamoro.”

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But Escudero had more broadsides aimed at Deles. She cannot blame the Arroyo government for policies set in place in talks with the MILF, he said, because she had previously served in the post during the first Arroyo term.

This seems an odd assertion to make, since I’m sure Escudero is aware of the timeline not just of Deles’ tenure of office in OPAPP, but also of the long, complicated negotiations with the MILF.

In particular, Escudero accused Deles of crafting the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain that he believes established many of the conditions that have handicapped the military and police in their campaigns against rogue elements of the MILF.

Records show, said Deles, that the MOA-AD came out in July 2008, by which time she had already been out of government, after joining the very public resignation of the “Hyatt 10,” for nearly three years. When the terms of the MOA-AD were made public, “I was no longer (the adviser on the peace process) but a private citizen and member of the civil society known to be in opposition to the Arroyo administration, very much like Senator Escudero whom I met in a number of occasions in Congress during the proceedings on the proposed impeachment of Arroyo as president in 2005-2006.”

She adds: “In the months that followed the Supreme Court’s issuance of a TRO in August 2008, I was quoted by news reports assailing the Arroyo government for its use of the peace process with the MILF, through the MOA-AD, for Arroyo’s political survival and extension of stay in power beyond 2010.”

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It isn’t difficult to discern just where Escudero is coming from. Clearly, he has seen the clashes in Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay as the perfect platform to project himself as a champion of the Filipino soldier and prime opponent of the peace process with the Moro insurgents.

Never mind if, in the process, he succeeds in ousting a Cabinet member who, though invested in the peace process for decades as both an NGO leader and government official, belongs to a perceived “rival” faction within the P-Noy administration. In fact, the first reaction to the surprise meeting between P-Noy and Murad earlier this year came from Escudero, who even then asserted that the President had been “ill-advised” in his peace overtures.

True, Escudero may receive strong public opinion support for his criticisms of the MILF and what he perceives as the overly accommodating approach toward the Bangsamoro. But he should travel to places in Mindanao ravaged by decades of war and talk to the men, women and youth who for generations now have had to live with the anxiety, peril, hunger, insecurity and disillusionment that previous campaigns have wrought. Words are a politician’s prime ammunition, but the impact of those words weighs heavily on innocent civilians who will feel the very real dangers of very real ammo.

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Let me give Secretary Deles the last words: “I understand Senator Escudero’s apprehensions and appreciate his concern that the President be properly guided on the peace process. As a hands-on commander in chief, the President is very much aware of the history, challenges and opportunities that come with the peace agenda. In fact, (we) have been instructed by the President to go to Basilan and Zamboanga Sibugay… where the affected communities are, to get credible and timely information on the ground and bring the message of the President’s firm commitment to the welfare of the people of Mindanao. At this point in time, it is our goal to focus our energies and enjoin everyone’s assistance for the welfare of the communities who are deeply affected by the current armed conflict.”