Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Gov't peace panel ready to resume talks with NDF in Oslo

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 9): Gov't peace panel ready to resume talks with NDF in Oslo

Members of the government peace panel are ready for the resumption of the formal peace talks with the National Democratic Front in Oslo, Norway on Aug. 22 with the National Democratic Front (NDF) brokered by the Royal Norwegian Government as third party facilitator.

We are ready to take that trip,” Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said in a press conference Tuesday at the Apo View Hotel. The members of the panel composed of Angela Librado, Noel Felongco, Rene Sarmiento, Hernani Braganza and Chair Silvestre Bello III, travel to Oslo on Aug. 20 while the talks officially starts Aug. 22.

The government, Dureza said, were doing all preparations towards the resumption of negotiations and ensure that it would happen. They are also working on the release of the other political prisoners, whose participation in the talks is also crucial for the NDF.

The President earlier ordered concerned agencies to work on the temporary release of key political prisoners to attend the peace talks in Oslo, Norway. The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process named Tirso Alcantara, Alex Birondo, Winona Birondo, Maria Concepcion Bocala, Reynante Gamara, Alan Jazmines, Ma. Loida Magpatoc, Adelberto Silva, Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, party-list Representative Satur Ocampo and NDF panel members Randall B. Echanis and Vicente P. Ladlad. Three of them – Ocampo, Echanis and Ladlad have been allowed by the Supreme Court to attend the talks.

Dureza said they have to be released on the basis of official processes and for those whose cases not pending with the Supreme Court, they are now dealing with the judicial processes in the local regional courts where their cases are pending.

Dureza was hopeful to get them (the said political prisoners) ready for the Aug. 22.

On Sunday, Duterte issued an ultimatum to communist movement that the GRP peace panel would pull out if there is another explosion targeting the government forces. He issued the warning after four members of the 25th Infantry Battalion and the 75th Infantry Battalion died in a landmine explosion planted by the NPA in two separate incidents in Compostela Valley.

Dureza admitted however that traveling the road to peace is not well-paved but despite the humps and bumps everything stays the course given the recent skirmishes in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley between the government forces on the ground and the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels that prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to lift the unilateral ceasefire he declared on July 25.

It may be recalled that Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) last July 25 but lifted it after two militiamen of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) died in an attack by the NPA rebels in Gupitan, Davao del Norte.

Dureza said the President’s latest ultimatum was unequivocal that if there is a landmine explosion, the government would pull out from the talks.

In a press statement, the NDF declared to better resume formal peace talks on Aug. 20 to 27 as this would be the venue to discuss the mode of ceasefire and how to arrange it.

Luis Jalandoni, chair of the NDF peace panel, said he understood Duterte’s statement on Sunday as the commander-in-chief of the AFP, thus had the duty to show official and personal concern for his troops.

In the resumption of talks in Oslo, both panels are expected to fast track the remaining three substantive issues namely the socioeconomic reforms, political and constitutional reforms and end of hostilities and disposition of forces.

They will discuss the affirmation of previously signed agreements; accelerated process for negotiations, including the timeline for the completion of the remaining substantive agenda for the talks, socio-economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, and end of hostilities and disposition of forces; reconstitution of the (JASIG) list; Amnesty Proclamation for the release of all detained political prisoners subject to concurrence by Congress; and the Mode of Interim ceasefire.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=911998

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