Gov’t, NDF iron out kinks to save peace talks

MANILA, Philippines -  The government and the National Democratic Front are ironing out issues for the peace negotiations to resume, following the Duterte administration’s decision to suspend talks with the NDF over the continued attacks of its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

The government and the NDF panels yesterday tackled issues hampering the resumption of peace talks.

Before this, the government and NDF panels attended a mass held at a hotel in Noordwijk, the Netherlands. Bishop Sergio Utleg read a statement from Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, urging both parties to go on with the peace negotiations.

The fifth round of talks scheduled from May 27 to June 1 is originally intended for the creation of a Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms or CASER.

Senators backed the move of the Duterte administration to suspend talks with the NDF.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate committee on public order, yesterday said the suspension will allow the government to reassess its stance after NDF leaders earlier admitted that they have no control over the NPA.

“Why are we negotiating with them if they say they’ve no control over the NPA?” Lacson told dzBB. “They should fix their organization first.”

He described the NPA as being reduced to being extortionists and arsonists that torch establishments that fail to pay the so-called revolutionary taxes.

Lacson said he and Sen. Gregorio Honasan plan to summon Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process Jesus Dureza and members of the government negotiating panel to discuss the situation.

Sen. Francis Escudero said such snags in negotiations are to be expected but both sides should not lose sight of the end goal of achieving lasting peace.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV was aghast that administration officials issued statements that government troops will not go after NPA guerrillas in Mindanao despite President Duterte having declared martial law in the South to quell rebellion.

Duterte declared martial law to run after a few hundred gunmen from the IS-linked Maute group in Marawi City and Lanao del Sur.

“Who’s the biggest insurgent force in the country? Isn’t it the NPA, which has been killing soldiers and torching businesses in Mindanao. So why aren’t they touching them?” Trillanes said.

The NDF is the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which Washington tagged as a terrorist group.

Lawmakers allied with CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison are in a dilemma whether to sever ties with Duterte’s super majority coalition in the House of Representatives over the suspension of peace talks with the NDF. 

“We strongly urge President Duterte to instruct the government panel not to cancel the talks and to return to the negotiating table,” said Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, one of the members of the Makabayan bloc of lawmakers and vice chairman of the House committee on peace, reconciliation and unity.

“This is not the time to abandon the many significant gains of the talks that were reached in less than a year of negotiations.

“This is gravely unfortunate considering the advances made in the previous four rounds of negotiations and the preparations made by the different working groups and committees of both panels, including the ceasefire committees, for this fifth round,” he added. – With Paolo Romero, Delon Porcalla, Mayen Jaymalin