Año says no lifting without peace agreement
NATIONAL Security Adviser Eduardo Año yesterday rejected the call of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to lift the government’s designation of the communist group and some of its leaders as terrorists, with the impending resumption of peace negotiations.
But he said lifting of the terrorist designation may come when a final peace agreement is forged.
“There is a process for that. It cannot be lifted easily. When there is already a peace settlement and they agree to abandon armed struggle, it’s already easy to lift the designation. But without a final peace settlement, that’s difficult (to grant). We cannot grant that now,” said Año, vice chairman of the Anti-Terrorism Council and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), and a former Armed Forces chief and interior secretary.
Año said the government wants to avoid giving in to the demands of the communists without concrete developments in the peace process. He pointed to another call — release of detained NDFP consultants to allow them to participate in the process. When the peace process was terminated in November 2017, the consultants did not turn themselves in.
“We want to avoid incidents like in the past. They (communists) made a lot of demands.
What happened was those who were released did not return, they went back to the mountain. That is our apprehension,” said Año.
The government and the NDFP signed a joint communiqué on November 23, agreeing to hold peace negotiations. Past administrations have held peace negotiations with the communist group but the talks ended up being cancelled or suspended. The agreement with the NDFP under the Marcos government was simultaneously announced by both sides on Tuesday afternoon.
Julieta de Lima, interim chairperson of the NDFP negotiating panel, has raised four issues that should be addressed to help advance the peace negotiations.
One is the “abrogation of the unjustified terrorist designation of the NDFP, its panel members, consultants and others who are working for peace.”
The three others are the release of detained NDFP consultants, security of those who will be involved in the peace negotiations, and release of all political prisoners.
On the release of consultants, Año said, “We leave it to the OPAPRU (Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity) in discussing this with NDF.”
Short of saying he was against the idea, Año also said, “There are other ways of consulting their (NDF) consultants without releasing them.”
“So let them talk,” said Año, referring to government and NDFP officials.
Año also said there is no problem with the government talking to a group designated as a terrorist organization, noting the government has no specific written policy against negotiating with terrorists.
He said the government “is accommodating,” noting that it has been welcoming the surrender of members of the terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, which is blamed for high-profile attacks including bombings, ambuscades and kidnappings.
“There is no problem because what President Marcos wants is to reach out (to everyone) and have resolution (of conflicts)… If they (communists) are willing to armed struggle, why not? We give them a chance,” said Año.
Asked if he believes the communist group is sincere in pursuing the talks this time, Año said, “I cannot answer that. It’s better if you ask them that question.”
CEASEFIRE
Año said he is not going to recommend a suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) against the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the communist group, this Yuletide season despite the agreement to resume peace talks. The government did declare a ceasefire with the communists during the Christmas season last year.
“I don’t recommend SOMO, I don’t recommend any ceasefire… Why do you have to recommend that when we know that what the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) /NPA is doing, particularly the NPA, are purely violent activities,” said Año.
He said not declaring a ceasefire with the communists will also allow the Armed Forces to accomplish its objective of dismantling some 20 weakened guerrilla fronts of the NPA.
Año said military operations against the NPA will continue despite the agreement to resume peace negotiations with the communists. The military placed the NPA strengthen at around 1,000 men.
“The operations of the Armed Forces for the dismantling, neutralization of the remaining guerrilla fronts will continue. There are only 20 weakened guerrilla fronts that are not really that active,” said Año.
“Our NTF-ELCAC will continue its activities, including military operations and law enforcement operations, delivering services and bringing development projects to the far-flung barangays. Nothing will change in so far our activities and operations,” said Año.
ROLE OF LGUS
Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said local government units (LGUs) will be more active and involved in the peace talks.
He said lessons learned from previous peace negotiations are being taken into account, including those that resulted in failed talks between the government and communist rebels, and strategies that led to the successful final peace agreements such as those with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
He said there would be more consultations and active participation of various sectors such as the academe, religious groups and especially the LGUs “because it is a grassroot problem.” He did not elaborate.
“It will become consultative… it will also build a strong constituency from the different sectors including religious, economic, security and also the LGUs. Importante po talaga rin ang LGUs (LGUs are important) because we wanted to consult them because it is really their grassroot problems,” he said.
Galvez also urged everyone to support the peace efforts, including those who are critical and skeptical about the sincerity of the government in pursuing the talks with the CPP-NPA-NDFP. He said government is ready to “listen, to consult and to understand the whole perspective of the conflict in order to have a final principled and fair resolution of all major issues.”
“Consultations and peace-constituency building will be extensive and expansive. All will be consulted on the parameters and framework of the future peace agreement. It will anchor on the gains of the NTF-ELCAC, the AFP, PNP, and other national and local governments. All programs will continue and security operations will never cease until such time that all parties agree on the final peace agreement,” he added.
POLITICAL PRISONERS
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) raised also several issues to allow the peace talks to “move forward,” including the release of NDFP consultants so they can take part in the negotiations, and rescinding of the terrorist designation of the NDFP, CPP, NPA, and NDFP National Executive Council member Luis Jalandoni and other NDFP personnel.
The CPP also cited the need to withdraw Executive Order No. 70 that instituted a whole-of-nation approach in addressing communist insurgency and Memorandum Order No. 32 that reinforced measures to suppress lawless violence in some parts of the country; abolition of the NTF-ELCAC; repeal of the Anti-Terrorism Law; withdrawal of soldiers involved in localized peace talks and community support program in the barangays; and release of more than 800 political prisoners.
The CPP said expressed “full confidence in their (NDFP negotiating panel) representation of the broad democratic interests of the Filipino people.”
It described the joint communique as “first half-step in the long march leading to the resumption of formal peace negotiations, and in the even longer road of achieving the people’s aspiration for a just and lasting peace.”
The CPP took a shot at former President Duterte for terminating the talks. It said Duterte “threw ten thousand thorns and spikes at the road of peace and rendered it impassable.”
“With the mistaken notion that the armed revolution can be crushed through sheer armed might, Duterte unleashed his war of state terrorism marked by abductions, torture, murder and massacres,” the CPP said.
It said Duterte’s counter-insurgency campaign was “gross and bloody, but it was also an utter failure.”
“Such failure is implicitly recognized by the fact that panels of the GRP and NDFP are now set to face each other across the table of peace negotiations,” the CPP said.
FIGHT TO CONTINUE
Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr, on the sidelines of the AFP Leadership Summit in Pampanga, said the instruction of President Marcos Jr to the military establishment is to continue with its operations against the NPA.
“As far as the AFP is concerned, we will continue with our mission and we will continue with our focused military operations,” said Brawner.
“The guidance of our commander-in-chief is that we continue on with our current mission, so we will continue doing focused military operations against the New People’s Army. So it (military operations) will continue,” he said.
Brawner sought to downplay speculations that the military will cease operations against the NPA with the impending resumption of the peace process.
“Just to be clear, we are not saying that since there will be peace talks, we are retreating, instead of moving forward with gains we are retreating and this will give the NPA a chance to regroup. So let me clarify that. As far as the AFP is concerned, the fight will continue,” said Brawner.
In a statement, the AFP said it is supporting the exploratory talks to end the armed struggle.
It described as a welcome development the willingness of the NDFP “to pursue peaceful means of effecting societal reforms, other than armed struggle, is also a welcome development.”
“We expect that all members of the underground movement will follow its lead,” it said.
It reiterated it will continue its campaign “to defeat all armed threats to the security of our people and state, the NPA included.”
“We will sustain operational tempo to further weaken the NPA’s capability to sow violence in our peaceful communities,” the AFP statement said.
