The Philippine government (GPH) chief negotiator for the
talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National
Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF) on Monday called for the communist rebels to put
an end to the armed hostilities ahead of the 47th founding anniversary of NPA.
In a statement, GPH peace panel chair Alexander Padilla said
that the NPA had escalated its campaign of violence during its founding
anniversary in order to validate their presence as a force to be reckoned with.
The NPA will celebrate their 47th founding anniversary on
Tuesday, March 29.
Padilla urged the communist rebels to consider abandoning
the armed struggle.
“We invite the NPA and its mother organization, the
Communist Party of the Philippines, to heed the call of the Filipino people to
end its violent struggle against the government and discuss the issues that
divide us in sincere, honest and peaceful dialogue,” said Padilla.
“There is no issue that cannot be resolved between
well-meaning Filipinos who are determined to secure a better life for all our
people,” he added.
Padilla said these violent operations perpetrated by the NPA
were “totally out of tune” with the Filipinos’ desire to live in peace, noting
that the Lenten week had just transpired and the campaign period for the May
polls had further intensified.
“Our people deserve their right to fair, free and peaceful
elections, but this is not possible under the regime of arson, extortion, and
murder imposed by the NPA in the countrysides,” said the chief peace
negotiator.
Padilla also noted that the CPP/NPA, the only remaining
communist insurgency in Asia , has become part
of the problem despite their assertions to resolve the ills of society.
“We therefore invite our armed brethren to be part of the
restoration of democracy that we regained in 1986 via a peaceful struggle
against an entrenched dictatorship. Just imagine what we, the Filipino people,
united in our desire for peaceful change, can accomplish if we work on our
issues jointly and creatively together, in peace,” said Padilla.
The NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, was founded on March 29,
1969, with Bernabe Buscayno, alias "Ka Dante," as its first leader.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=870793
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