Balay Mindanaw Foundation, Inc.

Kaangayan, Kalambuan, Kalinaw ... sa Mindanaw, sa Pilipinas, sa Kalibutan

Shifting paradigms and finding workable reforms within the security sector
By Belle Garcia-Hernandez / Posted 10 October 2011

It was in the middle of this year that Balay Mindanaw and the Western Mindanao Command of the AFP, headed by Maj. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, finally conceptualized another gathering of civil society and the military to once again embark on policy discussions related to peace building, conflict management and security issues in Mindanao. The deliberation wasn’t difficult for the staff of Balay Mindanaw and for Gen. Ferrer because discussion workshops had been organized several times in the past, starting in 2007 and every year after that. However, each gathering was a step to further enhance and improve the participation of key leaders, and discussions of issues of the succeeding forums were to further develop the issues at a higher level of discussion for policy recommendations.

In retrospect, the need to go to a policy advocacy through the conduct of policy discussion workshops were considered after several peace and capacity-building trainings were conducted with soldiers under the 103rd Infantry Brigade based in the Lanao provinces. The soldiers were so happy with the trainings that they recommended that all of them should undergo the program, even under the next commanding officers.

The idea of integrating peacebuilding modules into the military and police academic institutions was discussed at length in 2007 between BMFI, Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao (IPDM) of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) and some budding colonels under the command of Gen. Ferrer when he was still commander of the 6th Infantry Division based in Central Mindanao. This proposal came along with the discussion of putting peacebuilding and community development as among the parameters of success or promotion of a soldier.

	L-R: Ariel Hernandez, GOv. Khalid Dimaporo, Gov. Oscar Moreno, Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara, Sec. Ging Deles, Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer, Senior Supt. Chiquito Malayo, Kaloy Manlupig.

“We should think out of the box at this time. We have been fighting battles for more that 40 years now but never won a single war,” said then Col. Pete Soria (now a general) in front of his fellow senior military officers during the first discussion group. With him at that time were LTC Aquino, LTC Atal, LTC Lorenzo, LTC Hermoso, Col. Monilla, Col. Javier and Gen. Ferrer. Among the civilians in the group were Ayi Hernandez and Kaloy Manlupig of BMFI, Deng Giguiento of CRS, Ompong Rodil of MSU-IIT, former Iligan Mayor Franklin Quijano, myself and Charmaine Baconga, who were then on a research study on applied conflict transformation and also facilitated training and research works for the soldiers.

Reflections like these have always prompted the military to think and do something more sensible other that fighting. Thinking beyond the realm of military combat operations has been a challenge for the soldiers, especially for those who took the Operation Peace Course (OP Kors!) we at Balay Mindanaw have been conducting. Somehow, they managed to think and act that, yes, there are other options to achieve peace other than fighting in a war.

The need for peacebuilding among soldiers was later validated by the next series of discussion workshops participated in by an increasing number of generals and senior military officers. During these workshops, stories of outcomes of community peace building were showcased and gave the Army an idea about the local partnership, the impacts of the peace courses and the need for policies to support the peace initiatives on the ground.

Col. Charlie Galves, Chief of Operations of the AFP, leads discussion on the changing role of the CAFGUs and SCAAs.

That was why in the 2010 forum, two policy proposals, helped developed by Gail Ilagan of the Ateneo de Davao University, along with the transformational stories of soldiers packaged into the “Soldiers for Peace” magazine developed by Bobby Timonera, was presented to then Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzalez for his commitment and signature. But Gonzales never got to adopt the proposal, with busy days ahead as the national elections came just three months later and a new administration took over.

These gatherings about peace policies in the security sector (which, aside from the military and the police, also include the local government units and civil society organizations) are actually part of the overall programmatic initiative that engages the key stakeholders from the local to the regional, national and even international levels who will take stock for a meaningful transformation and partnership for empowered, sustainable and peaceful communities and peoples.

Being initiated in Mindanao, BMFI and WestMinCom are extending this initiative and thus inviting other key stakeholders to be part of the processes of peacebuilding with the security sector. This time around, a bigger group was involved.

Despite Typhoon Pedring hitting Metro Manila and many parts of Luzon, a total of 59 participants joined the policy discussion workshop last September 27 at the Asian Institute of Management (AIM) in Makati. The gathering brought together key leaders and representatives from various sectors – civil society, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, local chief executives, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), National Security Council (NSC), Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), Australian Embassy, The Asia Foundation and Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany.

	Gov. Dimaporo shares his experience on LGU-CSO collaboration.

Organized by Balay Mindanaw-International Center for Peace in Mindanaw (icPEACE), in partnership with the AIM Team Energy Center, INCITEGov and the AFP unified commands in Mindanao, this “momentous” policy dialogue, as what Prof. Nieves Confessor expressed in her opening remarks in behalf of AIM, was an exceptional opportunity to converse about changing the way we think about peace, development and human security. She further encouraged the delegates to “have a shift of mind by building partnerships to rediscover the collective power of the military, police, civil society organizations, communities and government in peace building and community development.”

The objective of the forum was to deepen the policy issues and discussions, not just to exchange new and challenging views but moreso put forward concrete recommendations for a shared responsibility, in the light of the new Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) and the National Security Plan (NSP).

Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the AFP, in presenting his assessment on the AFP plan said that the IPSP needs to be fully implemented with multi-sectoral engagement with other groups and institutions. This was concurred by the two governors who were in the panel of reactors – Gov. Khalid Dimaporo of Lanao del Norte and Gov. Oscar Moreno of Misamis Oriental – who strongly proposed a functional Peace and Order Council (POC). Based on their respective experiences, POCs should involve civil society partners in this mandated mechanism of the local government units to resolve peace and security issues in the local level and not waiting for the national government to act on these.

Furthermore, Gen. Alcantara revealed the joint security operation between the AFP and the PNP in addressing violent threats, both from armed groups and lawless elements. This plan was supplemented by Gen. Ferrer as he also presented his opinion on the execution of the IPSP in the hope that human rights, rule of law as well as the international humanitarian law are being adhered to.

Thomas Boelhke of the German military points out the need for security forces to understand the International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

The participation of the national government, represented by Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles, and the non-government organizations is essential in forums like this one. Secretary Deles, who also came from the ranks of the NGOs before joining government (first during the Arroyo administration and now under Aquino), stressed what is essential to be reformed in our security force as it relates to the peace processes in Mindanao. Thus she straightforwardly brought the importance of what she called “C.A.T.C.H.” as the guiding principles in working for policies related to security sector reform: “Closure” of the strategies, policies and laws by previous administrations and determined to resolve issued brought about by the impacts of Martial Law, All-out-War policies and the like; “Adequate capacities” needed by the security sector towards building peace; “Terrorism and lawless elements” be averted and prevented, adherence to Ceasefire and other disciplines of uniformed forces; “Hopeful and Hardwork” for a peace agreement. In addition, she articulated the cross-cutting needs of a “civilian democratic oversight” and a “gender perspective” in conflict management.

Kaloy Manlupig, President of Balay Mindanaw representing the Mindanao Peace Advocates Conference (MPAC), stressed more that the paradigm shift should be done in all groups under the security sector (LGU, military, police, CSOs and communities) who are embroiled in the overall issue of peace and security. This, he said, will further “sustain the momentum and protect the gains” of what has been started many years ago, no matter how small they are.

After the dialogue with the different representatives, the delegates went to different focus group discussions and came back to the plennary with five major recommendations: (1) professionalize if not demobilize the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU), professionalize state combatants, and engage non-state combatants in socio-economic reconstructions, holding fast on human rights and international humanitarian laws; (2) integrate peacebuilding and conflict management modules into the formal curriculum of the military, LGUs and police; (3) recognition of peace efforts to be adopted into the merit system or promotion and establish an independent peace award-giving body to distinguish paramount peace initiatives; (4) creation of civilian oversight of the IPSP and NSP with consideration of building capacities of this oversight; and (5) capacitate Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOCs) as one effective mechanism to be strengthened by the multi-stakeholdership and appoint regional POC chairpersons who will lead joint partnerships and directions in addressing peace and security issues.

	The facilitation and documentation team, composed of BMFI and AIM staff, poses after the forum.

Having participated and heard the various critical inputs from the forum delegates, representatives from the international community (the Australian Aid and Australian Embassy, The Asia Foundation, the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany) conveyed their support and challenged the body to continue and pursue more reforms, recognizing the already huge and noble efforts done as having an important effect in the overall campaign for peace.

Ayi Hernandez, who proficiently facilitated the discussion, presented in summary that the delegates clearly shared a common goal of “transforming the security sector into a sector of sustainable peace builders and peace champions, optimizing the local partnerships of communities and peoples for policy reforms.” The group’s recommendations as contained in the diagram below, he said, will be further presented to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Department of National Defense, Department of Interior and Local Government and other key stakeholders in the security sector reform. A Steering Committee is being set up to look further into the major directions of this kind of security sector reform initiative, especially in implementing these initiatives at the local level, particularly in Lanao del Norte and Misamis Oriental.