Topic: amnesty

At least 22 party-list representatives and 40 district representatives signed House Resolution 1803 on March 22, urging President Rodrigo R. Duterte to return to the peace table with the communist group and continue discussions on Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER), dubbed as the “heart and soul” of the peace talks, and Comprehensive Agreement on Political Reforms (CAPCR)

“Sumusunod ako sa patakaran ng NDFP. Ang magkadigma ay pwedeng magpeace talks, hindi iyong magkaibigan at mapayapa na ang relasyon,”

“The concurrence of Congress is needed for a presidential amnesty proclamation to release all political prisoners in compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in exchange for a mutually effective ceasefire as the first step towards the end of hostilities,” he added.

Sison said the CPP and the New People’s Army (NPA), under the National Democratic Front (NDF), will remain open to several possibilities of talking peace until Duterte and his subordinates change their minds and agree to negotiate or when a new administration is in place.

The end of hostilities and disposition of forces are the fourth and last item in the substantive agenda of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations in accordance with The Hague Joint Declaration and must be preceded by the comprehensive agreements on respect for human rights and international humanitarian law (CARHRIHL), on social and economic reforms (CASER) and on political and constitutional reforms (CAPCR).

The NDFP is definitely willing to resume peace negotiations as soon as the GRP agrees and the Filipino people are certainly clamoring for this. But if President Duterte and his subordinates Lorenzana and dela Rosa are unwilling to negotiate peace, the revolutionary forces and people represented by the NDFP have no choice but to concentrate single-mindedly on fighting those who lust for their blood, death and humiliation.

Duterte is engaged in a wild anti-communist witchhunt under the guise of anti-terrorism. An immediate look at his list of ¨terrorists¨ will show that he is running amok in slandering people as ¨terrorists¨. There are also hundreds of John Does in the list just to intimidate a limitless number of people.

It is still good to return to the aforesaid package. If Duterte is serious about resuming peace negotiations, he can simply authorize his negotiating panel chairman DOLE secretary Bello to meet with his NDFP counterpart Fidel Agcaoili in order to start preparations for the resumption of negotiations

The Vice President is wise and sober and knows how to appreciate peace negotiations as the way to solve an armed conflict. She is probably aware that the GRP and NDFP negotiating panels last November were ready to finalize the agreements on general amnesty of political prisoners, major parts of CASER and the coordinated unilateral ceasefire preparatory to the bilateral ceasefire supposedly desired by the AFP

By: Professor Jose Maria Sison Published 19 December 2017 https://www.telesurtv.net/english/opinion/Dutertes-Scheme-of-Fascist-Dictatorship-20171219-0010.html By his pseudo-independent foreign policy, Duterte is trying to turn the Philippines into a condominium of the imperialist…