Peace is both a work and a product of righteousness. Righteousness demands that peace and order be built upon the foundations of justice and equal opportunity.
A Bangon administration will seek peace and order in the land through the following actions:
A. SPECIAL ATTENTION TO PEACE IN MINDANAO
Bangon Pilipinas strongly believes that the Mindanao Peace Agenda should command the special and focal attention of the new administration. The Bangon Adminsitration will seek peace in Mindanao that would strongly help establish peace all throughout the country through the following concrete means:
1. PEACE PROCESS. Immediately reconvene, continue, and as much as possible conclude the on-going stalled peace process between all stakeholders in Mindanao;
2. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. The Bangon Administration will call a Constitutional Convention to consider and address, among others, the desirability of shifting to the federal form of government under a presidential model for a permanent solution to the problem of injustice in the countryside, including Mindanao, or any other long-term solution that would establish justice and peace in Mindanao as well as the whole country, depending on the collective wisdom of the people’s representatives to the Con-con and as may be ratified by the Filipino people;
3. REVIEW AND SUPPORT the Philippine claim to Sabah and Spratlys. The claim of the Royal Sultanate of Sulu over Spratlys and Sabah as part of the Philippine Republic will be officially studied and supported by the Philippine Government under a Bangon administration. All peaceful remedies to assert the claim will be made, including among others bringing the matter before the international forum of justice, as well as an amendment of the Constitution defining the Philippine archipelago, subject to the collective wisdom of the people’s representatives to the Constitutional convention, and as may be ratified by the Filipino people.
4. Establish an ECONOMIC-ZONE IN TAWI-TAWI AND A TRANSHIPMENT PORT IN SIBOTO STRAIT, to enable the collection of transshipment from foreign vessels plying the route, according to the fees set by the U.N. Law of the Seas, and for the income to be used for the upliftment of Tawi-tawi and Mindanao
5. IMMEDIATELY DISMANTLE ALL PRIVATE ARMIES, whether in Luzon, Visayas, or Mindanao.
B. OVER-ALL APPROACH TO THE AGENDA OF PEACE
Bangon Pilipinas believes that while crime and criminality will always be present in every society, much of crime and criminality have social causes. It is, therefore, a fundamental approach of Bangon Pilipinas to address the challenge of peace and order by a Policy of Addressing the Cause, while containing the Symptom.
1. The causes of the a deteriorated peace and order situation are:
a. Massive social injustice and widespread poverty
b. Neglect of the countryside
c. Unabated graft and corruption
d. Policy of militarization as an instrument of peace-keeping
2. The long-term solutions include:
a. Equitable distribution of the national wealth and income through the “Assured Regional Pie” Policy in the national budgeting process as explained in II.5 hereof;
b. Federalism, or any equivalent or alternative long-term formula that would assure that what is for Mindanao goes to Mindanao, what is for Visayas goes to Visayas, what is for Luzon goes to Luzon, and what is for Metro Manila goes to Metro Manila.
c. Paying special attention to the agriculture sector and agricultural economy, where majority of the rural poor belong, and which is the source of discontent and insurgency, through measures outlined in Section II hereof;
d. Distributing government-owned idle or abandoned lands for urban and rural housing and relocation with infrastructure for support, in partnership with the private sector such as GK and Habitat for Humanity
e. Encouraging direct private sector participation in poverty alleviation programs where expenses incurred by such individuals and corporations will be tax creditable.
f. Putting up of basic facilities like water and electricity in the most depressed areas preferably through eco-friendly, alternative, and non traditional methods or means
3. Reorient the AFP and PNP towards more civilian relations-related activities, such as building of schools, homes, bridges, medical missions, etc.
4. Protect the integrity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police and taking care of their welfare by ensuring :
a. Their basic human needs, including housing, medical, and retirement benefits
b. Sufficiency of arms, weapons and equipment
c. Electronic/communications logistics
d. Education in Philippine history and culture
5. Provide for the education of AFP/PNP legitimate children up to the college level.