Refocusing Perspectives

President Rodrigo Duterte signed Executive Order No. 70 on December 4, 2018. This EO provides for the  institutionalization of the “ whole-of-nation ”  approach in attaining inclusive and sustainable peace, creating a national task force to end local communist armed conflict, and directing the adoption of a National Peace Framework. The EO defines this National Peace Framework as an embodiment of “ principles, policies, plans, programs, for inclusive and sustainable peace; address the root causes of insurgencies, internal disturbances and tensions as well as other armed conflicts and threats in identified areas. It will include a mechanism for localized peace engagements or negotiations and interventions that is nationally orchestrated, directed, supervised, while being locally implemented. ” This Whole-of-A-Nation as an approach is inspired on the Joint Communique of the 50 th  ASEAN Foreign Ministers Meeting in Manila on August 5, 2017 which posits the proc...

T he new administration draw its political campaign espousing federalism as an alternative to republican, unitary and presidential system of government. Critics of the current form of government contended that restructuring the bureaucracy is necessary alleging that the present system is antiquated and the distribution of wealth is disproportionately favorable only to Manila. Other Mindanaoan legislators backed the campaign eyeing federalism as suitable for multicultural, diverse peoples and as remedy to protracted insurgency. This brings serious question whether or not federalism is indeed the correct cure to the problems besetting this country? The latter question presuppose a major inquiry—what really is the problem of the Philippines? Is federalism, as an alternative, compatible to the Bangsamoro quest for right to self-determination in accordance to the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro? Are the regional constituents politically mature enough amid co...