Celso to Grace in peace panel: Stand on the ground
Mayor Celso Lobregat has only one wish for Dr. Grace J. Rebollos as a new member of the government panel headed by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafel Seguis that is negotiating peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MNLF). “Stand on the ground.”
“I don’t know whether to congratulate or sympathize with her, but I hope Dr. Rebollos and the other new panel member (Atty. Antonio Laviña) will stand on the ground, mindful of our position on the peace process,” Lobregat said, but he did not elaborate.
“They should realize that Tomas Cabili and Adel Antonino were doing well as peace negotiators representing their sectors, but they had been marginalized, and eventually resigned from the panel because of certain disagreements,” Lobregat said.
According to the mayor, he knew of Dr. Rebollos having been recommended to the peace panel as early as January this year, but he remained silent about it considering it was premature at the time.
“Now that she is there (in the panel), I think she knows our position,” Lobregat said after talking to Dr. Rebollos, who called him over the phone yesterday morning.
Lobregat likewise clarified that the REbolllos’ and La Vina’s designation as members of the panel was not done on the basis of their being from Zamboanga. “They do not only represent Zamboanga City because the selection of panel membership is not done on the basis of local government units or cities or provinces”.
Meanwhile, Secretary Annabelle Abaya, presidential adviser on the peace process, is arriving in the city to keynote the 65th Commencement Exercises of the Western Mindanao State University (WMSU) today, March 23, and tomorrow, March 24.
Lobregat will be meeting with Sec. Abaya and Dr. Rebollos over dinner tonight.
To recall, President Arroyo has appointed Dr. Rebollos, president of WMSU, and Atty. Antonio La Viña, dean of the Ateneo de Manila University’s School of Governance, as new members of the peace panel, replacing Cabili and Antonino, who remain consultants to the panel though.
Rebollos has been cited for her involvement in various non-govermental organizations, including a stint in East Timor. As a development worker, she is involved in conducting seminars on culture of peace and conflict transformation.
La Viña, on the other hand, is a known environment advocate and has written a number of books, reports and articles on climate change, ecosystem management, and conflict and development, aside from being a law professor. (Vic Larato)