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The administration announced last weekend that Esperon would be named presidential adviser on the peace process, but critics saw the move as a political act designed to protect an Arroyo ally. They said the appointment of a military man to the peace process signaled the militarization of the process.
People First Party representative Satur Ocampo said naming Esperon as presidential adviser showed the Arroyo administration’s lack of sincerity in pushing for peace with the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army, which are fighting for greater autonomy.
Ocampo, a former member of the NDFP peace negotiating panel, said Esperon was the chief implementer of the counter-insurgency programs Oplan Bantay Laya I and Oplan Bantay Laya II which adopted the policy of all-out militarization against the groups fighting largely in the island of Mindanao.
As expected, however, Esperon accepted the offer. He said changing his role from warrior to peacemaker fit his desire to work in the areas of peace, security and development. He recounted his past experience as army chief in Mindanao, where he said he would meet Muslim commanders and guerillas not only on the battlefield but also to engage in exploratory talks, embracing them afterwards.
Esperon is seen as fiercely loyal to Arroyo. That loyalty and political collaboration resulted in accusations of election fraud in the 2004 presidential election. Audiotapes known as the “Hello Garci” tapes, which were made public, suggested that Arroyo and Esperon collaborated to tip the 2004 national poll in favor of Arroyo.
Critics also accuse Esperon of responsibility for the killings of 888 leftwing activists and the forced disappearances of nearly 185 leftists from Jan. 21, 2001 to Dec. 31, 2007. Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, or Bayan, the biggest alliance of left-leaning political groups, described Esperon as the ultimate antithesis of the peace process, citing his involvement in the surge of political killings.
The Muslim separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front, currently in shaky and fragile peace talks with the Manila government, said Esperon’s presence in the peace process would not make a difference, stressing that it is the government’s policy, not the negotiators, that counts.
The MILF also said the appointment of Esperon to the peace process shows that the Manila government is not engaged in real problem solving across the negotiating table, but would pursue the counter-insurgency approach to the Mindanao problem. It said more delays in the peace talks could be expected, adding that the military are trained to fight and not to negotiate.
The Manila government is again provoking another major political clash with the appointment of Esperon as presidential adviser on the peace process. President Arroyo has no reasonable option but to recall the appointment and let Esperon go. But Arroyo and Esperon are partners in crime, and the administration seems determined to protect him.
Opposition lawmaker Senator Jamby Madrigal is expected to block the appointment of Esperon when the administration submits his appointment to the Commission on Appointments.
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(Gerry Albert Corpuz is a correspondent of Bulatlat.com, an alternative Philippine online news site. He is also currently, the head of the information department of Pamalakaya, a national federation of small fisherfolk organizations in the Philippines. His website is www.gerryalbertcorpuz.motime.com, and he can be contacted at themanager98@yahoo.com. ©Copyright Gerry Albert Corpuz)
