GRP NAMES BAUTISTA AND PAMINTUAN AS PEACE PANEL ADVISERS
QUEZON City Mayor Herbert Bautista and Angeles City Mayor Ed Pamintuan will join the government negotiating team at the resumption of formal peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) on August 20 in Oslo, Norway.
GRP chief negotiator and labor secretary Silvestre Bello III said both veteran executives have been appointed as peace advisers for local government units.
Bautista told Kodao he is yet to be formally notified of his appointment, but said it is his duty as a Filipino to work for peace.
“Nawa’y matamo na natin ang kapayapaan na matagal nang inaasam ng ating bansa,” Bautista said.
Bello said that a retired general will be the GRP peace adviser for the military, but has still to inform Kodao of his full name.
The GRP chief negotiator said they are considering Tarlac Representative Victor Yap as peace adviser for the House of Representatives.
“Rep. Yap is the son of the late veteran peace negotiator and former Representative Jose V. Yap. So he would be effective as he already has a grasp of the peace process,” Bello said.
“But it would depend on Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez to appoint their representative to the GRP peace panel,” he said.
Bello said they are also waiting on Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to appoint a GRP peace adviser for the Senate. (Raymund B. Villanueva/Photo from ILoveQC)
