Peace is Welcome: Open Letter to President-Elect Duterte

May 19, 2016

H. E. Rodrigo Duterte
President-Elect
Republic of The Philippines

Dear President Rody,

We congratulate you for a resounding leadership mandate from the voting population of our country. Your commitment to address the roots or armed conflicts in our nation through peace negotiations and to correct the historical injustices committed against the Moro people is commendable. Addressing the situation of different communities, Moro, Christian, non-Christian and Lumad – specially as the Lumad suffer forcible displacement and urgently clamor for an end to militarization and the disbanding of paramilitaries in their ancestral lands – is imperative. Prospects for peace throughout the nation are rising and we are excited and energized by your very positive pronouncements on resuming peace talks.

Pilgrims for Peace is a multi-sectoral alliance of advocates for a just and lasting peace based on freedom, democracy, and social justice. Pilgrims appreciates that in your campaign platform you prioritized peace, in general, as well as explicitly outlined your openness to concrete steps in moving the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations forward. Your appointment of Jesus Dureza as peace adviser and Silvestre Bello as chief negotiator with the National Democratic Front underscores your resolve.

We encourage you to place the GPH-NDFP peace negotiations on firm footing by respecting previously signed agreements and continue forward with the substantive agenda outlined in The Hague Joint Declaration. Not only do we affirm the value of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) in our justice, peace and human rights advocacy, peace advocates have been preparing themselves to support the crafting of the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER) and look forward to its fruition.

We are heartened of your willingness to release all political prisoners. Even during your campaign, we noted that your new government would review their status and release those necessary for the NDFP negotiating panel; we affirm that such action will be greatly beneficial, if not essential, to successful peace negotiations. This can also bring to good order and re-operationalize the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG). Even more, your action to release political prisoners on humanitarian grounds would surely go a long way as a confidence-building measure.

With anticipation for what is to come, we are revving up our network of peace advocates to contribute in the work of peace-building. Our people understand the need to address the roots of armed conflict in building a just and enduring peace. We hope that with your presidency, we can also contribute to creating and focusing energy around the peace talks.

Sincerely yours,

PILGRIMS FOR PEACE