"If all the mayors and governors of Mindanao are like him, the security and peace and order problems in the South would be greatly lessened, if not totally eradicated."
The quote was from Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity Secretary Carlito G. Galvez Jr., and he was referring to Aklan Gov. Florencio “Joeben” Tumbocon Miraflores.
The occasion was the formal conferment of the OPAPRU awards Gawad Kapayapaan Highest Distinction Award to three of the nation's peace champions. Joeben Miraflores received this award from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity (OPAPRU) in September, 2023 but the impact of his great accomplishment toward peace that merited the award can still be felt in the province of Aklan.
Other recipients of this prestigious award were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Miriam Coronel Ferrer. Ermita was cited for his role in the government's negotiations with the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) while Miriam Coronel Ferrer helped facilitate the peace process with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). Miriam Coronel is the sister of respected journalist and media academician, Shiela Coronel, whom I deeply respect. Where are you now, Shiela?
Meanwhile, Governor Joeben Miraflores handled the difficult task of negotiating peace with the Rebolusyonaryong Partido Manggagawa-Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade-Tabara Paduano Group or RPM-P/RPA/ABB-TPG now known as the KAPATIRAN.
Peace starts in Ibajay
A native of Ibajay, Aklan, Gov Joeben knows his constituency well. Coming from the big Tumbocon and Miraflores families, Joeben had contacts with communist rebel leader Jessy Batoy alias Ka Bebeng, who is also from Ibajay.
Through Batoy and former CPA-NPA leader Nilo dela Cruz, Gov Joeben was able to initiate Erap's peace talks with the RPA-ABB-Tabara Paduano Group, a hard process that extended to the administration of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other succeeding presidents.
It was no easy task, as Governor Miraflores took all of 20 years to finalize the government's peace agreement with this breakaway faction of the NPA.
For his patriotic efforts, Miraflores was awarded the Gawad Kapayapaan Highest Distinction Award, with the government recognizing his being instrumental in implementing the peace agreement between the government and the RPM-P/RPA/ABB-TPG.
It was during his term as governor in 2000 when the landmark peace agreement was signed between the national government and KAPATIRAN, the name adopted by this group of communist insurgents. Since then, the peace and security situation in the province has significantly improved, with no reports of insurgency-related incidents to this day.
As governor from 2001 to 2004, he pioneered the concept of a “whole-of-government approach” to ensure not only the successful implementation of the government’s anti-insurgency efforts, but also the sustainability of the peace agreement with the KAPATIRAN.
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