Palace tells NDF: You have no right to talk peace for now

From GMA News (Jul 21): Palace tells NDF: You have no right to talk peace for now

Until it shows some sincerity in the peace process, the leftist National Democratic Front has “no right” to talk about peace, Malacañang said Sunday.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said this after presidential peace process adviser Teresita Deles was quoted as saying the NDF was making “impossible preconditions.”

“Ang NDF, walang karapatan magsalita, sila mismo ayaw makipag-usap sa amin ng kapayapaan. Magpakita muna sila ng sinseridad bago namin sila kausapin," Lacierda said on government-run dzRB radio.

He also advised the NDF to observe the peace efforts between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which recently signed a key annex to a peace agreement.

But for now, he said the NDF has yet to show its sincerity with the attacks by the New People’s Army on civilians.

“Mas mabuti na lang makisama sila, tingnan ang development sa peace process with the MILF. Kung talagang kapakanan nila damdamin ng taumbayan siguro isipin nila makipag-usap sa amin tungkol sa kapayapaan," he said.

“Wala kaming nakitang sinseridad sa kanila, patuloy ang pag-atake [ng New People's Army] sa civilian," he added.

An earlier Philippines News Agency posted on the government-run Media ng Bayan website had quoted Deles as saying peace talks with communist rebels have been stalled because they are imposing impossible preconditions.

Deles said such preconditions included the abrogation of international treaties.

She said another demand of the NDF is for the government to stop the implementation of the economic development program called PAMANA, or PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn.

She particularly cited a condition raised by the NDF for the government “to abrogate international treaties.”

The PNA report quoted her as saying another condition made by NDF for the talks to resume is for government to release so-called political prisoners.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/318489/news/nation/palace-tells-ndf-you-have-no-right-to-talk-peace-for-now