Press Release
August 25, 2009

KIKO PANGILINAN URGES THE GOVT TO MAKE
PEACE TALKS A PRIORITY

Independent senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan urges Malacañang to actively seek a resolution to the impediments to the current peace negotiations.

"If it's true that our government is bent on pursuing peace talks, then it should find ways to reach out and make this happen. Too much is at stake for the negotiations to come to a grinding halt now."

The NDF has set September 5 as make-or-break date for peace talks.

"Beyond the accusations, we must find a common ground for the sake of our countrymen who have long been caught in between a war of ideologies. Marami naman sa ating mga kababayan ang walang kinalaman sa giyerang ito, pero sila ang nagdurusa rito. Isakatotohanan natin ang matagal na nating inaasam-asam na kapayapaan para sa ating mga kababayan."

"The communist insurgency and the Muslim separatists have cost us tens of thousands of lives and drained our coffers of meager resources that could have funded basic social services for our people. The peace accord with the MNLF in 1996 has created a window of opportunity for development in Mindanao, which saw the rapid progress of General Santos, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao city. A second wave of peace initiatives could lead to the emergence of cities such as Marbel, Iligan, Cotabato, Zamboanga, as well as those in Samar and Bicol region. Let's make it happen."

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