Long way to go in government-NDF peace talks – Dureza

MANILA, Philippines – The peace process between the government and the communist rebels still has a long way to go despite the signing of an indefinite ceasefire in Norway to stop armed hostilities in preparation for negotiations to end the decades-long rebellion, presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza said on Monday.

“It is not a walk in the park. There is a lot of work to be done to ensure that a peace agreement will be reached,” Dureza said.

“We have to meet the timelines. So let us manage our expectations. We have to remember the basic issues and reforms that should be taken into consideration,” he added.

Dureza said the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) have two months within which to fine-tune the mechanisms for the unilateral ceasefire signed in Oslo last week.

“What was substantial in the Oslo meeting was the formal resumption of the peace negotiations that have dragged on for decades,” he said.

Dureza said both sides agreed to have an indefinite ceasefire to prevent encounters between government forces and the communist group and jumpstart the peace talks.

“With mechanisms on the ceasefire, there will be a group to intervene and a process to be applied in case an encounter occurs. We also have to concede to the things that the NDF will propose to make it work. There will be a lot of issues and challenges along the way,” he said.

“Both sides are determined to achieve the peace agreement. Let’s hasten this because we have a President that makes things happen. The most difficult part is the implementation of the peace pact and we learned that from the previously signed agreements,” he added.

Dureza noted that the 1996 peace agreement signed by the government with Nur Misuari’s Moro National Liberation Front has not been implemented.