‘Deal a product of 2 years of informal dialogs’
BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR and VICTOR REYES
GOVERNMENT and the communist National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have agreed to “start anew” peace negotiations, Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said yesterday.
Administrations since 1986 have held formal peace talks with the NDFP, the umbrella organization of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed group, the New People’s Army, but failed to reach any solution to the decades-long armed struggle being waged by the communists against the government.
If negotiations succeed, the rebels will end their armed struggle and transform into a political movement, according to Norway, which has facilitated the peace process for around 20 years. The bloody conflict between authorities and the NPA has raged for over 50 years and killed some 40,000 people.
“The parties agree to a principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict,” the two parties said in a joint statement, adding the peace talks will address “deep rooted socioeconomic and political grievances.”
Luis Jalandoni, a member of the NDFP National Executive Council, said his group will pursue the peace negotiations for the benefit of the Filipino people.
Jalandoni and other NDFP officials announced the agreement almost at the same time Galvez and other government officials were holding a briefing on the peace talks, in Malacañang.
Julieta de Lima, chair of the interim NDFP negotiating panel, said four issues need to be “discussed, addressed and worked on” by the two parties to “help advance the peace negotiations.”
The first, she said, is the participation of detained of NDFP consultants in the peace negotiations.
“The role of the NDFP consultants in forging agreements cannot be overemphasized.
Hence, we will continue to work for their release to enable them to contribute their knowledge and expertise in the peace negotiations,” said De Lima.
De Lima said the safety and immunity of those to be involved in the peace negotiations should be also ensured.
“The safety and immunity guarantees of those participating in the peace negotiations will help facilitate the negotiations and create a favorable atmosphere and obviate any incident that may jeopardize the peace negotiations,” she said.
De Lima also said political prisoners should be released.
The fourth, she said, is the “abrogation of the unjustified terrorist designation of the NDFP, its panel members and others who are working for peace.”
Galvez, in the briefing, said removing the communist party and affiliated groups from a government list of designated terror organizations was included in the talks.
EXPLORATORY TALKS
Galvez said the agreement for the Marcos government and the NDPF to open peace negotiations was reached during exploratory talks held in the Netherlands and Norway since 2022. The exploratory talks initially involved retired general Emmanuel Bautista as government’s special representative and Jose Maria Sison, CPP founder and NDFP chief political consultant who died in December last year in the Netherlands.
The exploratory talks resulted in a joint communiqué signed on November 23 by Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. Galvez, and Bautista for the government side, and Jalandoni, De Lima, and panel member Coni Ledesma for the communist group. Also signing was Kristina Lia Revheim, special representative of the Royal Norwegian government.
The communiqué said the government and NDFP, “cognizant of the serious socioeconomic and environmental issues, and the foreign security threats facing the country,” recognize the need to “unite as a nation in order to urgently address these challenges and resolve the reasons for the armed conflict.”
“The parties agree to a principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict. Resolving the roots of the armed conflict and ending the armed struggle shall pave the way for the transformation of the CPP-NPA-NDFP.
“The parties acknowledge the deep-rooted socio-economic and political grievances and agree to come up with a framework that sets the priorities for the peace negotiation with the aim of achieving the relevant socioeconomic and political reforms towards a just and lasting peace. Such framework, that will set the parameters for the final peace agreement, shall be agreed upon by both parties.
Consequently, we envision and look forward to a country where a united people can live in peace and prosperity.”
Galvez said there is no specific date yet as to when the talks would formally be held but expects it to be sometime in the first quarter of 2024. No deadline has been set as to when a final peace agreement will be signed.
Asked how it would impact on the terrorist tag on the CPP-NPA-NDFP, Galvez said it would be part of the discussions between the negotiating panels.
NO CEASEFIRE
Galvez said despite the developments, t military and police operations against the New NPA would continue at present.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. reiterated the decision about a holiday ceasefire would be left to the local peace and order councils.
Both Armed Forces chief Gen. Romeo Brawner and PNP chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. supported the planned resumption of peace negotiations.
Brawner said a peace agreement will free up military forces tasked to go after the NPA, along with resources, and allow the armed forces to focus on external and territorial defense rather than domestic conflict.
“If this conflict will finally end, your Armed Forces of the Philippines will be able to shift our focus to external or territorial defense. Our resources, efforts will be poured into defending our territory,” he said.
Acorda said the budget for weapons and ammunition can be used instead for machinery and infrastructure that would bring development to the country.
National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said it is time to end the communists’ armed struggle and to maximize development and delivery of projects and services especially to the countryside.
INFORMAL DISCUSSIONS
Jalandoni said the joint statement, signed exactly six years after previous Duterte administration terminated the peace talks, was a product of two years of “informal discussions, workshops and dialogues” that started with the “discreet initiatives” of a government emissary.
He said the initiative had been “welcomed and appreciated” by Sison.
“The joint statement, which speaks for itself, is significant as it reaffirms the imperative and value of peace negotiations for a principled and honorable political settlement of the armed conflict… with the aim of achieving the relevant socioeconomic and political reforms, towards a just and lasting peace for our people,” said Jalandoni.
“Hence, after a long hiatus, the parties will again formally go back to the negotiating table even as we build on past achievements as well as learn from lessons alike,” added Jalandoni.
Jalandoni said the NDFP is “always open and willing” to talk peace with the government “if this will be for the interest and benefit of the Filipino people.”
Jalandoni said the NDFP will ensure “bilateral nature” of the peace negotiations.
He said the NDF will also make sure that “binding agreements” are reaffirmed, adding they will negotiate “on a framework of principles that will be mutually acceptable to both parties.”
“And we shall endlessly pursue the substantive agenda that will provide concrete benefits for the people,” said Jalandoni, adding they will keep in their minds that the root causes of the armed conflict must be resolved.
Jalandoni said the NDF shall work for the removal “impediments” that do not engender the goodwill and which do not build confidence.
“The road to a just and lasting peace is long and even tortuous. The journey will be challenging,” he said. He said the “final destination will not be easy to reach” but will still pursue that path.
Rep. France Castro of the leftist Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives welcomed the agreement, saying it’s time to “unite as a nation in order to urgently address challenges” including environmental issues and foreign security threats.
“It is good that after six years both panels are going back to the negotiating table and start from where they left off. Such a move should address the roots of the armed conflict to attain just peace,” she said.
Castro urged the President to stick to the peace negotiations “and not to listen to the hawks and peace saboteurs especially those in the NTF-ELCAC.”
The peace negotiations between the government and the communist group collapsed under the Duterte government, which later resulted in the tagging of the CPP-NPA-NDFP as terrorist groups and its leaders as terrorists.
Then-President Rodrigo Duterte called for a signed ceasefire agreement, including a clear set of parameters or terms of reference that would be followed by the government and the communist rebels in order for the peace talks to proceed.
Duterte also asked the CPP-NPA-NDF to stop collecting “revolutionary tax” or extortion money, stop arson and other illegal activities, and to release all prisoners, among others.
Norwegian facilitators maintained contact with the parties, leading to confidential talks and a secret Nov. 23 signing ceremony at the Oslo City Hall attended by exiled rebel leaders and several Philippine government ministers, among others.
The announcement comes less than a week after Marcos Jr. issued an order granting amnesty to several rebel groups, including former members of the communist movement.
Under the amnesty order, former CPP, NPA and NDFP members would be absolved of crimes they committed “in pursuit of political beliefs.” — With Wendell Vigilia and Reuters