Group welcomes resumption of government-NDF peace talks

From the Business Mirror (Jun 22): Group welcomes resumption of government-NDF peace talks

THE Philippine Chapter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle (ILPS-Phils) welcomed on Monday the resumption of peace talks between government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) before President Aquino leaves office.

ILPS-Phils issued the statement as Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. hinted that the government is open for the resumption of the talks, which has been stalled since April 2013.

For its part, NDF has not totally closed all communication lines as revealed by NDF chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni in April.

Informal efforts, Jalandoni said, could eventually lead to the formal return of both parties to the negotiating table.

“This is a positive development to address the root causes of the armed conflict in the country,” ILPS-Philippines Chairman Elmer Labog said.

The Aquino administration recently negotiated peace with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), with the formal end of hostilities premised on the approval of the Bangsamoro basic law (BBL) that is still pending in Congress.

On the other hand, any advance in the peace negotiations between the NDF and the Aquino administration has been stymied by the adamant refusal of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process to honor previous agreements with the NDF.

Presidential Peace Adviser Teresita Quintos Deles has been condemned for this just as she continues to be criticized in Congress for purportedly cutting a one-sided deal with the MILF that leads to the creation of a “substate” for the MILF.

Among the accords that Deles does not recognize are the framework agreement of The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992 and the 1995 Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig).

There are currently more than 500 political prisoners with 17 of them NDF peace consultants holding documents of identification protected under the provisions of the Jasig.

The latest NDF consultant to be arrested was Adelberto Silva, who was snatched in Bacoor, Cavite, on June 1 along with his wife Sharon Cabusao and aide Isidro de Lima.

ILPS-Phils said the Pilgrims for Peace and Kapayapaan peace advocates would hold a forum dubbed “The People’s Agenda: Impetus for Peace” on Friday.

The forum will hear testimonies from people’s organizations that are taking a closer look into the Aquino administration’s peace policy.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/group-welcomes-resumption-of-government-ndf-peace-talks/