NDFP-Mindoro rejects localized peace talks

From the Manila Bulletin (Jul 19): NDFP-Mindoro rejects localized peace talks

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)-Mindoro has slammed the government for allegedly disregarding three decades of the peace process after President Duterte refused to continue peace negotiations with leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

In its statement, the NDFP-Mindoro also said that it disapproves of “localized peace talks” which is being pushed by the Duterte Administration.

It said that the localized peace talks “scraps altogether the triumphs of the last three decades of peace negotiations. He (President Duterte) not only insults the NDFP, but also all the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) negotiating panels, peace process experts and third party facilitators who devoted great efforts in paving the way for just and lasting peace in the Philippines.”

The NDFP-Mindoro statement was issued on Wednesday in response to the forum on the Localized Peace Talks conducted by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), through the Army’s 203rd Brigade, and Philippine National Police, through its Police Regional Office 4-B (PRO4-B in Mimaropa – Mindoro Islands-Marinduque-Romblon-Palawan).

The forum was held for local barangay officials in a bid to explain the guidelines set by the Duterte Administration in holding localized peace talks.

This was the result of the derailed peace negotiations between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) after Duterte unilaterally cancelled the scheduled peace talks.

But NDFP-Mindoro stressed that it rejects the localized peace talks, “along with all six conditions unjustly set to further distort the very foundation of the peace process.”

The statement added that: “He (Duterte) plans to hold the revolutionary movement hostage by putting the NDFP in an unfavourable position, knowing that it will never accepted the regime’s terms. Malacañan, the AFP-PNP, along with Duterte’s electronic broadcasters, diehard supporters and their troll armies have been waiting for years to attack the NDFP as anti-peace.”

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/07/19/ndfp-mindoro-rejects-localized-peace-talks/