‘It’s up to LCEs to hold localized peace talks’

By Dolly Yasa

 

BACOLOD City – Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, Gen. Cirilito Sobejana said it is up to local chief executives (LCEs) to decide on the holding of localized peace talks with rebels.

” It is the call of local government executives,” Sobejana told reporters here after the unveiling of the bust for Medal of Valor awardee 1Lt. Lolinato To-ong at Barangay Cabacungan, La Castellana town Thursday.

“I don’t think that war is the solution to the security problem. There are other dimensions and factors to be addressed… nobody wins in war,” he added.

Earlier Lacson earlier said that he will issue an executive order creating a provincial peace panel for localized peace engagements in Negros Occidental.

Lacson said the creation of the multi-sectoral panel, that will include the Church and the academe, will be guided by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process on how to proceed with the peace negotiations.

Asked if the COVID-19 pandemic affects their campaign against local insurgents, Sobejana said, “All of us have been affected by the COVID-19.”

He said that 30 percent of the entire AFP force is being used to support local government units (LGUs) in preventing the spread of the virus.

This is one of the targets of the present administration to end the local armed communist conflict, Lacson said.

The Local Peace Engagement mechanism is pursuant to Executive Order 70, that is nationally orchestrated, directed and supervised, but locally implemented, with the objective of achieving community resiliency and cultural harmony, contribute towards good governance, and address insurgency issues, the Department of Interior and Local Government said.

Under the proposed peace panel composition, the governor of Negros Occidental will serve as chairperson, co-chaired by the commanding officer of the Army’s 303rd Infantry Brigade.