Manila: Peace negotiators from the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) have agreed to conduct a three-month review of previously signed agreements to pave the way for continuation of the parleys.
Hernani Braganza who represents the government in the peace talks with insurgents, said that during a meeting on Wednesday in the Philippines, the negotiating parties had agreed to “suspend all back-channel talks with the NDF pending the three-month review of all signed agreements related to the peace negotiations.”
It remains unclear when the review will start.
“Upon instructions of (Presidential Peace Adviser) Secretary Jesus Dureza and (Labour) Sec. Silvestre Bello III, a government team flew to Utrecht, the Netherlands, to formally communicate to the NDF the decision of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to re-schedule the proposed resumption of government’s peace negotiations with communist guerrillas,” Braganza said.
It may be recalled that on June 14, Duterte had ordered a pause in the informal back-channel negotiations with communist insurgents while saying that he would be consulting with the people before talks could proceed.
Dureza had said consultations be made first with the people affected with regards to the government’s peace process with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples’ Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) before continuing the parlays.
The talks, which had been sponsored by Norway, had been aimed at arriving to a settlement to end the nearly 50 year-old insurgency conflict.
In the Utrecht meeting, Braganza said NDF representatives expressed willingness to keep an open mind on the President’s decision and wait for the outcome of the government’s review before proceeding with any peace conversation with government.
“They reiterated their commitment to all signed agreements, including those involving the planned visit of Prof. Jose Ma. Sison in the Philippines to Manila for a meeting with the President,” Braganza said.
As early as the mid-1990s under the administration of then President Fidel Ramos, government had been talking peace with the (CPP-NPA-NDF). They were able to hammer out ancillary agreements such as safety and immunity guarantees but talks on political and economic reforms had been left to the current administration under Duterte, to settle.
Braganza said the rebel negotiators are favourably considering the invitation extended by Dureza and Bello for NDF representatives to join the public consultations on the peace negotiation.
“It is our fervent hope that the consultations will help galvanise public support to peace efforts aimed at ending the armed conflict through the achievement of economic, social and political reforms,” he said.
It was also agreed that the Royal Norwegian Government will remain as Third Party facilitator contrary to what Duterte and Senator Franklin Drilon suggested that the talks be held in the Philippines.
Likewise, Braganza said that Sison would be meeting with Duterte in the Philippines.
The nearly half-a century-old insurgency had cost the lives of more than 100,000 civilians and combatants and had kept remote areas of the country underdeveloped.
