Anakbayan backs peace talks resumption, says it is for IPs’ interest
CAR Regional formation of youth group Anakbayan highlights the need for the urgent resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) as part of the indigenous peoples agenda during the celebration of the World’s Indigenous Peoples Day in Baguio City, August 9.
The youth group stressed that the IPs will surely benefit if the peace negotiations prosper as this will pave a way for the tackling of major social and economic reforms with genuine representation from the historically marginalized IPs in the country.
“The resumption of peace talks remains to be a major agenda for us, indigenous peoples. It may bring to the attention of the people and the Philippine government our rights and just demands that has long been neglected by the government,” said Luke Bagangan, secretary general of Anakbayan Cordillera.
Bagangan cited that while the government guarantees IP rights to their ancestral lands and their self-determination, these are usually compromised once faced with conflicting personal interests of big businesses and high-profile government officials.
“In reality, the government remains to be the worst violator of IP rights. They allow plunder our resources by local and transnational large-scale mining corporations. They facilitated land grabbing of ancestral land in the guise of so-called development that we never felt,” added Bagangan.
Quoting the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER) drafted by the NDFP, anakbayan claimed that upholding of such rights will be a main concern in the peace talks.
Part 4, Article 23 of CASER states that the right of national and ethnic minorities to their ancestral domain shall be recognized and their communal property rights shall be guaranteed”. Moreover, Part 7, Article 9 guarantees that “positive measures shall … be undertaken in favor of national and ethnic minorities to redress the long history of their discrimination and neglect.
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Anakbayan Cordillera 