Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (PAPP) Jesus G.
Dureza on Monday said the journey towards the achievement of peace between the
government and the communist rebels faces bumpy roads but raises hopes that the
four-decade conflict would soon end.
In his opening statement during the resumption of the peace
talks between the Philippine government (GPH) and the Communist Party of the
Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) in Oslo , Norway
“There will expectedly be humps and bumps along the way. The
road to peace is not easy and rosy, considering the long history of animosity,
suspicion and armed conflict that troubled our land. Hopefully all these now
belong to yesterday. Today is the dawning of another day,” he said as he urged
both parties to “stay the course! No matter what!”
”Who knows? This may perhaps be our last chance in our own
lifetime to make this shared dream come true,” he pointed out.
Dureza, in his speech, a soft copy of which was distributed
to journalists in Manila
He said the peace talks faced about 15 deadlocks in the last
six presidencies.
He noted that members of both panels are generally still the
ones who met some decades back and these include Labor Secretary Silvestre
Bello III, former PAPP Rene Sarmiento, former Sec. Hernani Braganza, Secretariat
chief Carla Munsayac, and lawyer Sedfrey Candelaria, for the GPH.
For the CPP-NPA-NDF, the representatives have always been
CPP founder Jose Maria Sison and wife Julie, Catholic priest and NDF chief
negotiator Louie Jalandoni, NDF spokesperson Fidel Agcaoili, NDF peace panel
member Coni Ledesma, NDF Representative to the Nordic countries Asterio Palima,
and NDF co-founder and former Bayan Muna party-list representative Satur
Ocampo, among others.
Dureza said the latest truce talks has a new and refreshing
element since President Rodrigo Duterte vowed his commitment to bring "a
definitive and final peace settlement to our troubled land”.
“We who are in government are working now under his
leadership and guidance to bring about this commonly shared dream,” he said.
He dubbed as “unprecedented” the immediate release of at
least 18 detainees, who are in Oslo
”I never imagined this could ever happen before, including
the spontaneous ceasefire declarations that we now see happening,” he said.
Dureza, before leaving for Oslo last Saturday, said
President Duterte has again declared an indefinite ceasefire with communist
rebels as long as necessary.
The President, in his first State of the Nation Address
(SONA) last July, declared a ceasefire with the communist rebels but took it
back days after due to alleged violations by the other side.
Dureza said the current administration “is the main and
compelling reason" for the resumption of the peace talks, which also
receives big support from the Royal Norwegian government.
He encouraged both sides to maximize the latest opportunity
to eventually achieve peace and not take advantage of each other.
“This should be more of a coming together of Filipinos
interested to see changes in the land -- in our land, to be shared for and by
all. If we can, let's no longer call our engagements as negotiations but
instead a shared national 'conversation' a 'dialogue' where we find together
common grounds, bridge the divides and seek common dreams to share,” he added.
The peace talks are scheduled on August 22-26.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=916159
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