VP Sara says 'good governance is antidote to war'
Vice President Sara Duterte has pointed out in a speaking engagement before Mindanaoans that good governance is key to resolving conflicts.
“In my experience in politics, I have realized that the antidote to war is good governance. And good governance breeds public trust,” Duterte said during the Annual Kusog Mindanaw Conference held in Davao City on Friday, Nov. 11.
Duterte was the event’s guest speaker where she met with leaders of various Mindanao-based non-government organizations, agencies, civic society groups, and development stakeholders.
She recognized the efforts on 1996 peace agreement between the Moro National Liberation Front and the government under the late President Fidel V. Ramos, and the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro signed between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Philippine government under the leadership of the late President Benigno Aquino in 2014, which made “Mindanao considerably quiet for quite a time now.”
She further said it is now “peace harvest season” in Mindanao, but will always demand for "collective" and "constant" attention.
“Harvest time — peace time — is a good time for us. It allows the government to address problems that, if not given appropriate attention, could be exploited by terror groups to foment anger and incite people to resist the government, resort to violence and join their cause,” Duterte said.
“Peace is a delicate, fragile beauty. It needs constant attention. In the case of Mindanao, it does not only need our continuous attention. It needs our constant, collective attention,” she added.
The Vice President also called on every Mindanaoan to always acknowledge the sacrifices of fellow Mindanaoans who fought against rebel groups to secure Mindanao and provide safety to the people.
“The seeds of peace that you have planted all these years, the seeds of peace watered by the blood of Filipino martyrs who fought against each other, the seeds of peace nurtured by your sacrifices and bravery and that undying fire I see in your eyes — they have grown and their flowers now in bloom,” she said.
“You have all the reasons to be proud of the tremendous job that you have done for Mindanao and your fellow Mindanaoans,” she added.
Believing that the “Mindanao Agenda is a Philippine Agenda,’ the Vice President said the Department of Education (DepEd), which she heads in a concurrent capacity, is eyeing to incorporate National Culture of Peace in the curriculum to further strengthen the advocacy of peace protection and sustainable development among schoolchildren.
Kusog Mindanaw is a Mindanao-wide organization established as a platform for discussion and development partnerships. In its 28 years of existence, Duterte was the highest Philippine official to attend Kusog Mindanaw’s annual conference.