With an indefinite ceasefire now in effect between the
military and rebels, Eastern Mindanao Command (EMC) head Lt. Gen. Leonardo
Guerrero said peace and development projects of the government in the
countryside will be able to proceed much faster.
"Now that a ceasefire with the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist
Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front) is in
effect, we expect the implementation of the government's peace and development
prrograms in the countryside to proceed much faster," he said.
Guerrero stressed these projects will bring much needed
services to remote barangays and will act as catalyst for further growth and
development.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has earlier lauded
the decision of the NDF for extending indefinitely its week-long ceasefire in
view of the ongoing peace talks.
"The AFP have noted with elation and optimism this
breakthrough in the peace negotiations," said AFP public affairs office
chief Col. Edgard Arevalo.
The rebel ceasefire took effect 12:01 a.m. of Aug. 21 and
was supposed to end 11:59 p.m. of Aug. 27.
It was declared following the release of its high-ranking
leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, who were named consultants to the Oslo , Norway
During the past week, both parties agreed on six, instead of
five, major contentious issues that would propel the negotiations.
Aside from the NDF's decision for an indefinite ceasefire,
the panels also re-affirmed previously signed agreements, among them The Hague
Joint Declaration in 1992, Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees
(JASIG) in 1996, and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect of Human Rights and
International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) in 1998.
The Philippine government (GPH) and NDF panels also agreed
to reconstitute the JASIG list, which will be on an encrypted file and will
contain photos and identities of NDF consultants who are still in hiding but
will be immune to arrest as the negotiations are underway.
The JASIG list will contain the names and photos of 54 NDF
"publicly known" consultants and 87 guerilla leaders who are known by
their "assumed names".
Also given a thumbs up during the meeting were the
revitalization of the joint monitoring committee, the submission of a
recommendation to President Rodrigo Duterte on the issuance of an Amnesty
Proclamation, subject to concurrence with Congress, for the arrested,
imprisoned and charged NDF members.
"It is a laudable move on the part of the CPP-NPA-NDF
to respond positively to President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of
reimposition of the ceasefire 'for as a long as necessary' to attain lasting
peace in the land," he added.
"The AFP under the leadership of Gen. Ricardo Visaya
will continue to uphold the letter and spirit of the ceasefire declaration of
the Commander-in-Chief. The nation can rely on every soldier, sailor, marines
and airmen to help provide an environment conducive to peace so that
negotiators from both panels can work under the climate of trust and prospect
of reconciliation," Arevalo stressed.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=918009
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