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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'Check where you stand': Elected officials 'duty-bound' to back Marcos peace agenda, says solon

'Check where you stand': Elected officials 'duty-bound' to back Marcos peace agenda, says solon

Published Dec 6, 2023 10:59 am

At A Glance

  • ABANG LINGKOD Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano believes elected public officials are "duty-bound" to support President Marcos' peace initiative with different rebel groups. 
  • Vice President Sara Duterte recently likened a peace deal with communists as an "agreement with the devil".

20231206_185344.jpgABANG LINGKOD Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano (left), Vice President Sara Duterte (MANILA BULLETIN)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Elected public officials are "duty-bound" to support President Marcos' peace initiative with different rebel groups. 

Thus, said ABANG LINGKOD Party-list Rep. Joseph Stephen "Caraps" Paduano amid the apparent criticism made by Vice President Sara Duterte agaisnt the administration's pro-peace stance with communist factions. 

During the joint hearing of the House Committees on Justice and on National Defense and Security hearing Tuesday, Dec. 5, Paduano reminded Duterte that she was a member of the present government. 

"This is not an effort by President Bongbong Marcos. This is an effort made by former presidents, including [former] president [Rodrigo] Duterte, the father of the current vice president. This is the commitment of all presidents since President Cory Aquino," said the solon, who is a former House minority leader. 

"With due respect to all those political leaders, elected public officials opposing these proclamations of the present administration, they should check where they stand," Paduano said. 

"Because as a congressman, as an elected public official, we are bound to comply with our commitment about peace agreements with all those rebel groups," explained the party-list lawmaker. 

Vice President Duterte recently grabbed headlines after she said that talking peace with communist groups was like having an "agreement with the devil". 

Vice President Duterte was President Marcos' running mate during the May 2022 national elections. The former is the concurrent Department of Education (DepEd) secretary. 

Malacañang's Amnesty Proclamations No. 403, 404, 405, and 406 cover members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army-National Democratic Front (CP-NPA-NDF), Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), respectively.  

ALSO READ 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/12/5/castro-hits-vp-duterte-s-ant-peace-remarks-posturing-as-president

 

To support these, the House of Representatives led by Speaker Martin Romualdez filed House Concurrent Resolutions (HCR) Nos. 19, 20, 21, and 22. These were adopted by the joint panel on Tuesday afternoon.  

Paduano says that when a sitting president enters a peace accord, he does it for the Republic of the Philippines. 

"These four amnesty proclamations are just an implementation of the government commitments, and we as public servants should comply and support that commitment of this government. They are the product of the government's program, which the government and all of us should support and commit to because that is the commitment and program of this government and the previous governments," he explained. 

Reacting to the Vice President's remarks, Paduano said: "While I respect dissenting opinion in this country, I would just like to correct those elected, appointed, and career service officials of this government who are opposed to the President's amnesty proclamations." 

Paduano said it was "unfortunate" the former president Duterte's amnesty application only lasted for one year. 

 

Related Tags

peace agenda Sara Duterte Joseph Stephen Paduano President Marcos
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