HILLARY IN UST. US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton is welcomed by high school students of the University of Santo Tomas in Manila where she attended the Manila Forum Friday.

This was one of the key messages said by US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on the peace process in the country. Sec. Clinton was at the University of Santo Tomas Friday for the Manila Forum, where she had a chance to interact with college students from Metro Manila, Visayas and Mindanao.

Clinton lauded the efforts of both the Government of the Philippines (GRP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which are expected to resume their formal peace talks before the end of the year to end the conflict in war-torn areas of Mindanao.

She however urged that both parties should continue to work on the peace process while both are very much willing to do so.

“Strike while iron is hot, when people are in the mood and willing to make peace. Do not rest, do not sleep until you finally get there because… we need to bring peace where we can so that people will have more stability in their lives, they can plan for a better future,” she said.

Clinton was drawing from the US government’s experience during her , former President Bill Clinton’s term, when he was pushing for a peace deal with the Middle East.

“I remember very well when my husband was so close to the Middle East peace talks back in 2000, there were those who thought, ‘well he’s getting to the end of his term, maybe we can get a better deal with the new set of administration’ and in fact, nothing was done,” she recalled.

“So for eight years, all the progress, we got so close [to the peace deal]… After my husband left off, then President (Palestinian leader) Yasser Arafat [decided to take the deal] and he (Bill Clinton) was not president anymore,” she added.

She said that aside from socio-economic efforts, political negotiations are very important in realizing peace in Mindanao, lauding President Arroyo’s efforts in reaching out to achieve peace in war-torn area.

“From briefings I received yesterday, it’s a fresh approach that an agreement can be realized. There’s an impetus because the president’s term will expire. It is important to get this done because you don’t want to start all over again,” Clinton said. “I really believe negotiations to end the conflict and not be discouraged is really important.”

“President Arroyo is very committed. A lot of times there are difficult decisions that are not popular but she’s fully prepared to do that. I think the president is committed, she wants to see this done,” she said.

The top US diplomat meanwhile reiterated the strong partnership between the US and the Philippines in its efforts against terrorism and insurgency as well as in defending human rights.

The US and the Philippines do have a long history of partnership, friendship, and alliance and we want to continue to be a good friend and partner. For the conflict in Mindanao, we provided training and assistance but not involvement in combat of the US forces,” she said.

It will be recalled that Clinton underscored the importance of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) during her press briefing here Thursday, citing the important role made by the US military in the rescue, rehabilitation and relief efforts following the passage of the recent destructive typhoons in the country.

“I wish all of you well and we’ll continue to work with you, to support you and to provide assistance as we have done in many occasions. We want to see the Philippines continue to grow and prosper and we’re looking forward to working with you,” Clinton said.

After her two-day visit in Manila, Clinton will be joining US President Barack Obama in Singapore for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. (Madel R. Sabater)