Peace talks with CPP-NPA is still highly possible - Belmonte

From the Philippine News Agency (Jul 20): Peace talks with CPP-NPA is still highly possible - Belmonte

House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. on Monday said peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines - National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) can still be done within the remaining term of office of President Benigno Aquino III..

Belmonte said he was surprised upon learning that top honchos of the CPP-NDF told him that they had sent feelers through an intermediary about their willingness to resume peace negotiations but there was no feedback until now from Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Teresita Quintos Deles.

In an interview, House leadership said that he only learned about the feelers when they have a chance to talk with CPP-NDF leaders Jose Maria Sison and Luis Jalandoni while they were in The Netherlands when they attended the Philippine-China hearing recently on the West Philippine Sea dispute. Aside from him, House senior leaders like Majority Leader and Mandaluyong City Rep. Neptali Gonzales II, Appropriations Committee Chair and Davo City Rep. Isidro Ungab and Accounts Committee Chair and Romblon Rep. Eleandro Jesus Madrona joined him.

“He said the spirit of the whole thing is 'we should continue the talks'. He mentioned to me their go-between, which is a lady official, was abreast of what was going on and had communicated with Secretary Deles. They had not gotten feedback. I told them I'd bring it to the attention of the President," Belmonte said.

The speaker expressed confidence that peace negotiations can still be done within the remaining months of the Aquino administration.

"I wish it could. I think the atmosphere is such that it can still be done during this term of the president... He has other assistants, I do hope the festering problem will be solved and it can be solved during the last year in office,” he pointed out.

Belmonte revealed that even before they went to The Hague for the arguments on the West Philippine Sea, the meeting with the communist leaders had been arranged by intermediaries.

"Even before I left the Philippines, we had some kind of a contact on my part through friends of Ruth Zumel. She herself is a friend of mine as her husband, Tony Zumel, was a very close friend of mine,” he admitted.

“Since he has died I have become a member of his foundation so it was through Ruth that I got word that they will also like to see me if I go to The Hague” he added

The communist delegation had 10 people. He said the meeting, which was in a Japanese restaurant, "was friendly."

Deles earlier said that there must be no preconditions from the communist leadership before the two parties can resume negotiations.

Among the sticking issues in the resumption of the talks is the communist party's demands that their detained “consultants” be released first.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=784562