Topic: ceasefire

Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison on Thursday said that there should be no preconditions for the resumption of peace talks, noting that the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to go back to the negotiating table is being welcomed as good development.

Peace talks resumption should have no preconditions —CPP founder Joma April 5, 2018 In a phone interview on Dobol B sa News TV, Sison from The Netherlands said…

The resumption of peace talks between the GRP and NDFP negotiating panels is needed precisely to deal with substantive issues and complaints.In the same round of formal talks, as well as in preceding consultations, the panels can present conflicting positions and subsequently seek to solve the problems on mutually acceptable grounds.

The NDFP is sincere in engaging in peace negotiations with the GRP in order to obtain comprehensive agreements on social, economic and political reforms to address the roots of the armed conflict and lay the basis for a just and lasting peace in accordance with The Hague Joint Declaration

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).

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

Stressing the rebels were “always willing to negotiate peace” with Duterte or someone else, Sison, who is now chief political consultant of the NDFP, said: “It takes two sides in the current civil war in the Philippines to agree to negotiate with each other and arrive at comprehensive agreements on social, economic and political reforms to lay the basis of a just and lasting peace.”

Mainam na makapaglatag kayo ng matibay at malawak na pundasyon ng Migrante International sa buong kapuluan sa pamamagitan ng Migrante-Philippines. Konsolidahin ang lakas ng mga pamilya at komunidad ng mga migranteng manggagawa na naabot na ninyo at ibayong magpalawak para abutin ang iba pang naghihintay sa inyong mga organisador at edukador. Dapat sagpangin ang panahon para magparami ng mga balangay at magbuo ng mga kailangang antas ng pamumuno. Lumahok at mag-ambag sa ibayong paglakas ng kilusang manggagawa, kilusang kabataan, kilusang kababaihan at sa buong pambansa-demokratikong kilusan.

According to Sison in his statement entitled, “How Duterte Sabotaged the GRP-NDFP Peace Process,” the negotiating panels were looking forward to initializing the drafts, including the comprehensive agreement on social economic reforms, when Duterte started on November 18 to criticize the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), the New People’s Army (NPA), and the NDF.

“He also ranted against the entire peace process until November 23, when he made his Proclamation No. 360, terminating the peace negotiations,” Sison noted.