Source: Public Relations and Information Department

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For free, credible elections Lakas, Guardians ink coalition pact
03 May 2004 04:57:43 PM

Speaker Jose de Venecia, the Lakas CMD national president, and Sen. Gregorio Honasan, national chairman and president of the Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Inc., today signed a coalition agreement for free, honest, transparent, credible and non-violent elections in the May 10 political exercise.

De Venecia said the coalition agreement “would dispel a lot of pre-election tension and calm fears of post-election destabilization.”

At a joint press conference at Club Filipino, de Venecia and Honasan formally signed a two-page memorandum in which the Guardians Brotherhood also declared vigorous support for the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s program for good governance and for economic, political and constitutional reform.

With just a week before Filipinos vote for their next president, de Venecia said Lakas and the Guardians Brotherhood are “aware of the historic opportunity to work in concert, driven by the goal to modernize the country’s economy and its politics.”

Honasan is chairman of the Senate Committee on Peace, Unification and Reconciliation and founder of the reform-driven rightist military group Reform the Armed Forces Movement.

He is facing rebellion charges arising from last year’s so-called Oakwood mutiny of junior Army officers and soldiers but de Venecia said the senator “did not ask any concession and he was given none.”

Honasan hailed the Government of National Unity proposed by Mrs. Arroyo and de Venecia that would bring into public service the brightest and best of political parties, party-list groups and civil society to unify the country and propel it toward economic recovery and modernization.

Honasan also lauded the proposed shift to a parliamentary federal government, advanced by President Arroyo and de Venecia, as a major step toward reforming governance in the country and bringing genuine progress to the outlying regions.

De Venecia said Lakas and the Guardians are guided by the principle of free, credible and honest elections and are pursuing constitutional changes “as the nation’s last hope to bring about wide-ranging social, political and economic reforms.”

The two leaders vowed to work closely together “under President Arroyo’s genuine program of national reconciliation and unification.”

Following the signing, Honasan declared he was driven by the higher principles of national unification and reconciliation and his action “transcends personalities and is in compliance with the highest mandate of his office” as chair of the committee on peace, justice and unification.

The senator said he has already “served national leaders” and his action was in the higher interests of the Filipino people.

Earlier, Honasan and de Venecia signed a Memorandum of Agreement, dated April 21, 2004 binding both the Guardians and Lakas CMD to the principle of fair, credible and honest elections and to the pursuit of “economic, political and social reforms to rebuild the nation and unify the Filipino people.”

Co-signing agreement was Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, Lakas secretary-general, while former ambassador to Italy Jose Romero and Mel Verano, who represented Honasan in the negotiations, signed as witnesses. Verano also helped de Venecia conclude a ceasefire and eventually a peace agreement between the government and the RAM in 1992 putting an end to the coup threats during President Ramos’ term from 1992 to 1998.

In the earlier agreement, the Guardians declared it would support President Arroyo’s platform of good governance and the vigorous implementation of government programs for peace with insurgent groups, national reconciliation and development.

The Guardians also agreed to “inculcate in our soldiers unfailing loyalty to the Constitution and the Flag.”

Lakas CMD agreed to give “the highest priority” to the Armed Forces modernization program that includes provision for the new-type combat equipment and adequate compensation for soldiers fighting terrorism.

Lakas CMD also agreed to promote the Guardians reform program and goals and to pursue rural development that would defeat poverty and insulate armed forces and police personnel from political partisanship.

During the early 1990s, de Venecia negotiated with RAM leaders that included Honasan, Commodore Domingo Calajate and Mel Verano – who where in the underground – leading to the 1992 ceasefire, release from prison of right-wing rebels under a Congress-approved general amnesty program, and a final peace agreement.

Noel Albano
PRID