Bello: Peace talks with CPP-NPA-NDF ‘only on hold’

MANILA, Philippines — Government peace panel chair Silvestre Bello III on Sunday clarified that the formal peace talks between the the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines are only on hold.

“I would not call it on limbo, I would prepare to call it on hold,” Bello, who is also Labor secretary, said in a televised phone patch interview with CNN.

Bello, who is now in the Netherlands, said the members of the NDF requested time for a directive from chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison for the Communist Party of the Philippines to withdraw their call for intensified attacks against government to reach their people on the ground.

The NDF is negotiating with the government panel in behalf of the CPP and the New People's Army. 

Bello said the party told him it does not have the means to communicate with communists in the Philippines instantly, leaving the government panel to wait for feedback from the ground.

“On this premise, we agreed to wait for their forces on the ground to comply with the directive of Joma Sison.  In the meantime, on hold yung aming opening of the fifth round of formal talks,” Bello said.

“We are waiting for feedback if their forces will follow the directive of Joma Sison and withdraw their call for intensified attack against government. Then, this may justify our panel in proceeding with the formal talks,” he added.

The CPP earlier ordered the NPA to intensify attacks in response to President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of martial law in Mindanao due to government clashes in Marawi City with a separate group, the Islamic State-inspired Maute group .

The government said that martial law was only meant to address terrorists groups like the Islamic State-inspired Maute and Abu Sayyaf and that security forces are not going after the NPA.

This was followed by presidential peace Adviser Jesus Dureza's announcement on Saturday that the government peace panel would not participate in the scheduled fifth round of peace talks unless the CPP ensures that it can stop the NPA from launching offensives.

Asked why the government still proceeded to the Netherlands for scheduled peace talks despite the recent directive of the CPP, Bello said they wanted to inform the NDF panel that they violated the provisions of the joint declaration of a ceasefire.

He stressed that the parties have a third party facilitator, a panel from the Royal Norwegian Government led by Elizabeth Stattum.

“Precisely to tell them that this statement of their position to intensify the attacks was not in keeping with the framework of the talks,” Bello said.

“We have to inform them that if they don’t withdraw that statement of accelerating or intensifying the attacks on government, then we will be compelled to withdraw the talks,” he added.

While the formal peace talks are have been postponed indefinitely, Bello said they have guided optimism citing that the parties attended a meeting preceeded by a mass. He said he is hopeful that the observers will have religious guidance.

Bello also said the government has also set other demands for the  CPP-NPA-NDF but said he is not at liberty yet to reveal them as these are sensitive matters.

Last March, the government peace panel and the NDFP negotiating panel announced the resumption of peace talks in the Netherlands. The parties agreed to continue formal peace talks and to reinstate their respective unilateral ceasefires.

The fourth round of talks was held last April while the fifth round of talks was slated in June 2017.