The proliferation of loose firearms and private armed groups continue to hamper peace efforts in the country, according to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU).
During the news conference at the launch of the Gawad Kapayapaan (GaKap) on Thursday, Acting Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Isidro L. Purisima disclosed the existence of both factors in a locality that can cause “horizontal conflicts” in the said area.
“That is why we now have a program for dismantling private armed groups and small arms and light weapons. The DILG [Department of the Interior and Local Government] is leading the security sector [in the government] to implement the program,” Purisima said.
The program started in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) amid the proliferation of loose firearms in the region.
“The plan now is for the government to expand it not only in Bangsamoro but in other selected areas,” Purisima said.
Aside from dismantling private armies and disposal of loose firearms, OPAPRU said the government is also making significant gains in its campaign against separatist groups.
Currently, it is said there are 21 communist guerrilla fronts in the country. Of which, 3 are classified as “active,” while the remaining are deemed “weakened.”
Purisima said they hope to eventually remove all of incidents of insurgency in the country not only through peace negotiations, but also by removing the root causes of conflict such a poverty and inaccessibility of government services in an area.
He said the formal launch of their GaKap this year aims to further accelerate the anti-insurgency measures through the recognition of the groups or individuals, who are engaged in verifiable peace-building programs that have contributed and made a positive impact on the peace process.
“It is by paying tribute to their efforts that we will be able to push forward, sustain and build from the gains of peace that we all worked hard to achieve,” Purisima said.
GaKap is open to peace partners from the government and non-governmental organizations as well as civil society.
The deadline for the submission of nominees for GaKap is in May.
