GPH, NDF panels agree to fast track peace agreement within a year

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 25): GPH, NDF panels agree to fast track peace agreement within a year

Members of Philippine government (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF) peace panels have agreed to accelerate the timetable to complete work on substantive agenda to within a year.

In a statement Thursday, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) said proposals made during the simultaneous meetings held last Tuesday have been okayed by both panels.

The simultaneous sessions lasted from about nine minutes to 30 minutes, with the longest reserved for discussions on the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER), deemed the “heart and soul” of the peace talks.

Last Tuesday, both panels agreed to activate the Reciprocal Working Committee (RWC) and Reciprocal Working Groups (RWG).

Labor Secretary and concurrent GPH peace panel chair Silvestre Bello III Bello earlier said the GPH and NDF panels earlier agreed to hold all RWC meetings in Oslo while RWG meetings will be held in the Philippines.

OPAPP said the RWC on CASER is scheduled to have its initial meeting in October 2016 “to discuss the framework and outline of the CASER, their work schedule, and methods of work.”

It said the RWGs on Political and Constitutional Reforms (PCR) also agreed to have its first meeting in Oslo.

The RWG on End of Hostilities and Disposition of Forces (EOH-DOF), in turn, decided to present their respective draft outlines for a Comprehensive Agreement on the substantive issue on October 24, 2016 or the next scheduled Panel meeting, whichever comes first, it said.

Both panels’ RWC on CASER will further tackle reforms on agrarian reform, national industrialization, and foreign policy, which Bello said are the major factors that would determine the results of the peace talks.

He said speed of the discussions is surprising.

”It was really morale-boosting for both panels,” he said.

In particular, Bello said the two sides’ RWC on CASER decided to "endeavor to complete work within a period of six months."

"This committee will work on the most important issue: how to address the root causes of conflict in the Philippines in order to attain just and lasting peace. The sooner CASER is wrapped up, the better for the peace negotiations," he said.

"Fast-tracking discussions on CASER means accelerating the process of seeking political settlement with the NDF and ending almost half a century of armed conflict with communist guerillas," he stressed.

The Duterte administration bids to have the final peace agreement within six to 12 months and Bello said the simultaneous meetings being held in Oslo this week will help achieve this.

"We are right on schedule and the talks are proceeding smoothly. We expect a final peace agreement after one year so we can devote five more years of President Rodrigo Duterte's term in implementing the reforms agreed upon by both parties," he added.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=917320