From InterAksyon (Jan 15): Militant, church groups: Rome round of peace talks with Left must tackle hard issues
The government and NDF panels face each other in an earlier round of the peace talks in Oslo.
Militant and church groups expressed support at the weekend for the third round of peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF) in Rome.
The talks starting January 19 will center on socio-economic reforms, considered the "meat" of the peace talks.
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan said it hopes there will be serious negotiations on issues as poverty, underdevelopment, inequality, economic sovereignty and other social and historical factors at the root causes of the armed conflict.
More than the ceasefire declarations, negotiations on substantive agenda, such as economic reforms, will be the real indicator of sincerity in the peace talks, the alliance said.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) has urged the Filipino people and the global community to support the forthcoming third round of formal peace talks.
One of the country’s largest religious alliances, PEPP brings together Roman Catholic priests and nuns, United Methodist ministers and deaconesses, and bishops from the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP). The Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) and bishops and pastors of a number of evangelical churches are also part of the alliance.
Signatories to the PEPP statement were: Archbishop Antonio J. Ledesma, S. J. of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and co-chairperson of the PEPP; Rev. Fr. Rex RB Reyes Jr. of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP) and co-chairperson of PEPP; Bishop Deogracias S. Iniguez Jr. of the Ecumencial Bishops Forum (EBF) and head of PEPP Secretariat; Bishop Noel A. Pantoja of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches (PCEC), and; Sr. Mary John D. Mananzan, OSB, of the Association of Major Religious Superiors of the Philippines (AMRSP.)
“The third round of the GRP-NDFP formal peace talks will be held on January 18-23, 2017 in Rome, Italy. May the Holy Spirit guide all those involved as they discern ways to end the decades-old armed conflict in our country. We pray that the positive atmosphere that was present in the first two rounds of talks continue and that both panels put the interests of the people, especially the most vulnerable, at the center of the discussions. Our prayer goes with the hope that the negotiations on the second substantive agenda on social and economic reforms that aims to address the roots of the armed conflict, redound to a peaceful future where all the basic requirements for all Filipinos to live an abundant life, as the Lord promised, is fulfilled,” PEPP said.
It urged both parties "to show their fidelity to previously signed agreements especially on the Comprehensive Agreement for Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). May this fidelity also manifest as the two parties work on a possible bilateral ceasefire agreement.”
Release of prisoners
Meanwhile, the alliance of religious leaders from various sects supported the call for the release of political prisoners, especially the sick and the elderly. "This is a very important confidence boosting measure that prepares the ground for even more progress to be made on reaching common understanding between the two sides," PEPP stressed.
For its part, Bayan through Renato Reyes Jr. said it supports "the draft agreement on socio-economic reforms being advanced by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines panel which takes into account the People's Agenda for Change that was submitted to both the GRP and NDF panels last year.”
Bayan supported as well the NDF's prioritization of land reform, rural development, national Industrialization, economic sovereignty, environmental protection, the rights of the working people, social services and pro-people fiscal reforms as submitted in the People's Agenda. "We also appreciate the extensive consultations that were conducted to ensure that the interests of the oppressed and exploited would be included in the proposed Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER),” he added.
Bayan said the Rome talks should also be an opportunity to address several outstanding issues that continue to undermine the peace talks.
“Political prisoners should be released as a matter of justice and compliance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) as well as the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig),” Reyes stressed.
He sought a stop to "militarization of the countryside, especially civilian communities," whether it's called Oplan Bayanihan (OPB) or Development Support Plan Kapayapaan (DSPK) or OPK.
"Operating troops of the AFP must leave the civilian communities and discontinue psywar and intelligence activities disguised as development activities. The continuing military operations of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) undermine the Duterte government's own ceasefire declaration,” Reyes noted.
“The Duterte government must move to create a favorable climate for the advance of the talks. The rising body count in the war on drugs, continuing threats of Martial Law, violations of sovereignty and neoliberal economic impositions all undermine the peace process,” Reyes said.
http://interaksyon.com/article/136200/militant-church-groups-rome-round-of-peace-talks-with-left-must-tackle-hard-issues
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