8 January 2004 – Foreign Affairs Secretary Delia Domingo Albert today said that she was determined to continue mobilizing the diplomatic resources of the Philippine Government in pursuing the peace process with Islamic secessionists and communist rebels.

“Over the past year we made important inroads in our diplomatic efforts to push our peace process towards a successful conclusion.  We will continue with these efforts,” Secretary Albert said.

Secretary Albert said that she remembered that former Secretary Blas F. Ople had said that he had longed to see a Philippines at peace with itself.  “Secretary Ople had told me that after the fighting and the dying in World War II, he thought that they had also won the peace.  But to his dismay and sorrow, he witnessed decades of strife and violence.  The guns never fell silent while he was alive.  It is my hope to build on what Secretary Ople had achieved through diplomacy in helping bring about a meaningful peace, so that his dream of a country united in peace will finally come true,” Secretary Albert said.

“We will continue to engage the international community to strengthen our peace process in very specific ways.  We will continue to prevent rebels from courting international support.  We will continue to focus development assistance on conflict and post-conflict areas.  We will work closely with our partners in the international community who are helping us broker peace,” the Secretary said.

“We are particularly appreciative of the efforts and cooperation of Indonesia, which played a critical part in building peace between the Philippines and the MNLF; of Malaysia which is helping broker peace with the MILF; and of Norway, which is playing a central role in our efforts to seek peace with the communist rebels,” Secretary Albert said.

She added that she was confident that formal peace talks with the MILF and the communist rebels will be held shortly. END.