At the negotiating table in Rome during the third round of talks. Photograph from Kodao productions.
The peace negotiating panels of the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) exchanged documents Tuesday over the bilateral cease fire proposal of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) as well as the NDF's formal complaint regarding the Makilala clash of January 21.
GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III said he was encouraged by the NDFP's reception to the bilateral cease fire proposal, one of the government's major objectives in this round of talks.
"The NDFP said we will discuss our bilateral cease fire proposal on February 22 or 24 in The Netherlands," Bello disclosed.
"I find their response reasonable," Bello said.
Convening the ad hoc cease fire committee on the fifth day of the formal talks, the parties each received the documents in a brief meeting.
Bello also revealed that the final date of their meeting next month would depend of the availability of Utrecht Archbishop Wim Eijk, who will be the caretaker of the reconstituted list of protected consultants and peace process participants for the NDFP Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).
"I will witness the NDFP's submission of their list of holders of documents of identification," Bello said.
Both parties agreed to a reconstituted list after the pass key was corrupted by a raid conducted by the Dutch police on the NDFP International Office in August 28, 2007.
The NDFP, in turn, submitted to the GRP Panel a letter of protest in relation to the Makilala, North Cotabato clash between elements of the 39th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (PA) and the New People's Army (NPA).
NDFP panel chairperson Fidel Agcaoili called the Makilala clash "a clear breach" of the GRP's own unilateral cease fire declaration.
A 33-year old NPA fighter was confirmed killed, even as Lt. Gen. Rey Guerrero, commanding officer of Eastern Mindanao Command of the AFP, denied that eight Army soldiers were killed as alleged by the NPA's Rigoberto Sanchez.
The GRP reportedly told NDFP that they will study the protest letter and await the official report from the AFP.
http://interaksyon.com/article/136491/grp-submits-bilateral-cease-fire-proposal-ndfp-complains-about-makilala-clash
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.