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Christian Conference of Asia
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February 13, 2012 Dear friends, Greetings to you! I would like to share the Statement of the 2nd Ecumenical Church Leaders Summit on the "Government of Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Peace Process" convened by the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Forum. This is their effort to activate the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) and hope that the solution that they offer will overcome the impasse regarding detained Consultants, and may pave the way to an early resumption of peace talks.This is a good example of the advocacy and peace building role that our Councils and Churches can play in our troubled regions. Let us pray for peace and security for our brothers and sisters in the Philippines. With hope and prayers Sincerely yours Rev. Dr.Henriette Hutabarat Lebang General Secretary
Statement of the 2nd
Betania Retreat House, Lahug,
February 6-8, 2012
*“This is what Yahweh asks of you, only this: that you act justly, that you
love tenderly, that you walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8)
We are
Church leaders from five major religious federations*. We came together to
reflect and discuss the peace negotiations between the Government of the
Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of Philippines (NDFP). We
listened to updates from both sides regarding the current status of the
negotiations. There are positive prospects that bolster our hopes for the talks
to continue but there are certain issues brought out that may hinder the process of the said talks.
One such issue, which is at the crux of the recent impasse, concerns the detained consultants of the NDFP that they claim are covered by the Joint Agreement on
Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG). The NDFP called for a postponement of
the talks last June 2011 to give time for the GPH to release the consultants. While the GPH already released some consultants, the NDFP is demanding that the GPH honor the February 21, 2011 Joint Statement by releasing most if not all consultants covered by the JASIG.
The GPH recently stated that until the reciprocal working committees on the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) shall have completed
the common tentative agreement on social and economic reforms, the talks may
not resume. They also stated that there will be no formal talks on issues
concerning the JASIG. This in turn was seen by the NDFP as a move to scuttle
the negotiations. We deeply understand the
concerns of both parties.
To affirm our commitment in support of the formal peace talks and to break the current impasse, we call on the Government to release in recognizance under the collective custodial guarantee of the member churches of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform, the NDFP consultants who are willing to
be under the sanctuary of churches. This is our way of proclaiming the Gospel
of Peace.
We call on the GPH and the NDFP to consider this offer. As Church people, we recognize that the road to a just and lasting peace is complex. But we persevere because we are certain that nothing is impossible with God and especially if we take the interests of the people at heart. We believe that there are times when we need to dare and innovate, seize the Kairos moment, so that the formal talks may continue.
We pray that this offer from us will pave the way for both parties to continue to work on the mutually agreed principles or framework upon which the
peace negotiations are built. We are earnestly looking forward to the next
substantive agenda, the CASER, so that the fundamental issues that bring about unpeace will be addressed.
We affirm our prophetic voices for peace and take to heart our people’s longing for the elusive peace that will create the conditions for an equitable and sustainable development of our country and people.
We fervently
ask you all to join us in prayers and solidarity in this quest for a future worthy of our children.
February 8,
2012
For the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform
ARCHBISHOP
Antonio J. Ledesam, S.J., DD
Co-chairperson
Disclaimer: The opinions in the statement do not necessarily reflect the views of the Christian Conference of Asia or any of its employees. posted by communications on Monday, February 13, 2012 |
