Ex-Ramos spokeswoman is Arroyo peace adviser
abs-cbnNEWS.com | 10/23/2009 4:50 PM
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MANILA - President Arroyo on Friday appointed Annabelle Abaya as the new presidential adviser on the peace process, replacing Avelino Razon.
Abaya, a former presidential spokeswoman during the Ramos administration, said she is hopeful and optimistic that breakthroughs will happen in the government's efforts to forge peace with the National Democratic Front and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front before Mrs. Arroyo steps down from office.
Acknowledging the difficulty of the challenge, the new presidential peace adviser said she will do her best to resume government peace negotiations with the two biggest rebel groups in the country.
Abaya said she also wants a review of the 1996 peace settlement with the Moro National Liberation Front to see what areas need to be strengthened.
Asked what she thinks of former president Joseph Estrada's vow to wage an all-out war in Mindanao if he is re-elected, Abaya said she can take the former president aside and convince him that history has shown that durable peace cannot be achieved by war.
The new presidential peace peace adviser holds an MA degree on public administration from Harvard University and Masters on Dispute Resolution from the University of Massachusetts Boston. She was also a member of the GRP peace panel with the NDF. With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News
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