ISABELA CITY, Basilan – The civil society group in Basilan launched recently the Bantay Bayanihan
(BB) to ensure the Internal Peace and Security Plan (IPSP) Bayanihan of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is being implemented in accordance with
its guidelines.
Miriam L. Suacito, Executive
Director of Nagdilaab Foundation said “the IPSP signifies the intent of the AFP
to draw support and increase involvement of the multi-stakeholders in all
levels in addressing peace and security concerns.”
The IPSP is the security sector’s
commitment to the attainment of quality and progressive life for the Filipino
people as a partner in peace and development.
“In Basilan, the IPSP partners had
been doing efforts toward realizing the intended goal, which is lasting peace
and development through the collaborative efforts of civil society, government
line agencies and security sector,” Suacito stressed.
The conveners of the oversight group
in Basilan, who decided to launch the BB last March 5 during the duration of
the Pakaradjaan Festival, were the Nagdilaab Foundation Inc. and the BAPESDA
(Basilan Advocates for Peace, Environment, and Sustainable Development
Association).
Ribi Daño, representative of the
national secretariat said the “BB is a civil-society-led oversight body
that will monitor the implementation of IPSP. It is an initiative that
aims to create an oversight body over the armed forces, including defense and security
policies (strategic, tactical and operational levels).”
The BB is envisioned to be a
dialogue space that brings together civil society organizations, the
academe, civilian government units (whose services have direct
bearing on conflict formation and peace building), and the AFP.
“There’s a national secretariat that
serves as the working group on security sector reform, a research unit under
the Department of Political Science of Ateneo de Manila University (AdMU),”
Daño said.
She added the secretariat serves as
the communication channel and liaison between and among chapters from Luzon,
Visayas and Mindanao. Also, it serves as the agenda-setter during national
meetings of the group.
“The nature of engagement is
constructive, but critical in the sense that we are an oversight; we have a
tool for monitoring the assessment of the implementation of the IPSP, but at
the same time constructive because we know that we are part of the solution. We
criticize but at the same time we give recommendation,” she explained.
She also revealed that an annual
assessment will be held this coming June to present the results of the
assessment matrix crafted by the Bantay Bayanihan to the civil society
organizations.
The security sector reform research
unit of AdMU is expected to publish its results and findings, have a book
launch, and do some policy recommendations to legislators.
“Bantay Bayanihan is already an
institutional partnership between the CSOs and the AFP,” Daño further said.
As to the impression about Basilan,
she said “when one is from outside Basilan, the impression is that the place is
dangerous and that one should have to coordinate his movement with the authorities.
But surprisingly it’s just like Batangas, just like I am having a vacation
here,” she observed, noting further that the CSOs in Basilan are very
passionate about fighting for peace and development in the province.
Regional convener, Dr. Grace
Rebollos of Peace Advocates Zamboanga (PAZ) presented the concept of the Bantay
Bayanihan. The security sectors—the AFP and the police—also presented their
security strategies and programs in winning peace in the province.
104th Brigade Commander
Col. Carlito Galvez said “the military is studying the dynamics of the
different areas where it operates as basis for their strategic approach in
addressing security concerns in the area.
He also observed that “the people of
Basilan are already saying NO to war and are thirsting for development
projects.”
He said that security concerns
should be resolved in as peaceful way as possible with the support of the peace
and order councils in the area.
Security Sector Reform means
transforming the security sector/system, which includes all the actors, their
roles, responsibilities and actions—working together to manage and operate the
system in a manner that is more consistent with democratic norms and sound
principles of good governance, and thus contributes to a well-functioning
security framework.
The groups that form the Security
Sector are: the armed forces, the police, Intelligence, Border Management
Services, and the supporting institutions—oversight bodies such as Congress,
justice and penal systems, non-statutory security forces and civil society
groups.
A core objective of Security Sector Reform (SSR) is to
reform the security sector institutions so that they are transparent,
respectful of the rule of law and human rights, and accountable to democratic
civilian authority, such as the parliament and the justice system. Hence, the
it is an important component of peace-building, democratization and
development. (PIA9)
