The Senate panel approved the P7.094 billion peso budget for the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) on Wednesday.
This budget represents a 2.7% increase from the previous year and aims to accelerate OPAPRU’s programs for former rebels, including normalization and transformation efforts.
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez, Jr. stated that the proposed budget is essential for implementing OPAPRU’s normalization programs for former combatants, rebels, their families, and communities.
“Therefore, we must invest in peace… This requires a whole-of-nation and whole-of-society approach to guarantee that over 30,000 former rebels do not return to radicalism, terrorism, and violent armed conflicts,” he told Senate members.
Galvez emphasized that investing in peace is crucial to preventing former rebels from reverting to conflict and noted that the budget will help fulfill commitments under various peace agreements.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who chaired the hearing, praised OPAPRU’s successful implementation of the Localizing Normalization Implementation (LNI), a key program supporting the 2014 Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro.
The senator also urged OPAPRU to prioritize infrastructure projects under its PAMANA program, particularly in Eastern Samar, and to coordinate with the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to make the “Transitional Justice and Reconciliation Act for Bangsamoro” a priority bill.
Galvez highlighted progress in socio-economic projects for former rebel groups in the Visayas and stressed the need for additional funds to support the Joint Peace and Security Teams (JPST).
“We are now in the final stretch in fulfilling commitments as we deliver our expanded mandate to implement components of all signed peace agreements,” Galvez said.
