MANILA, Philippines - Armed with proposals tackling socioeconomic and political reforms and ways of ending Asia’s oldest rebellion, the government panel leaves for Rome today, ready for the third round of peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front (NDF).
Silvestre Bello III, government peace panel chairman, submitted the draft comprehensive agreements on socio-economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, and on end of hostilities and disposition of forces to President Duterte during a courtesy visit in Malacañang yesterday.
The talks with the communist party will be held on Jan. 19 to 25.
“We are all set and ready to engage the NDF in the discussion of all substantive agenda including supplemental agreements needed to proceed and arrive at a peaceful negotiated political settlement to end the armed conflict in the country,” Bello said.
But Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao yesterday said that if the government is really intent on providing reforms, then Congress should pass House Bill 555 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) that pushes for free distribution of land and replaces Republic Act 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (CARL), which expired in June 2014.
“Filipino farmers have been fighting for land reform since the Spanish colonialism until martial law and up to present. It is a legitimate and moral aspiration that should be realized in the country. Here in Congress, we urge House members to heed this call as a parallel effort to the ongoing peace talks with the NDFP,” Casilao said in a statement.
He also warned against reviving the CARL through bills that will push the extension of land acquisitions and distributions, claiming this would only require “farmers to pay for amortization until he is not able to and be driven away from the lands.”
“Rural development is impossible without genuine land reform, as the rights of farmers are not secured and the lands are not protected from use conversion,” Casilao said, referring to Duterte’s pre-election promises on developing the countryside.
Bello said the government is approaching the talks “in the spirit of true reconciliation and genuine quest for just and lasting peace,” remaining confident that major breakthroughs would be achieved this time.
The government panel, he added, is ready to sign the supplemental comprehensive agreement on respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, which will include an expanded role of the Joint Monitoring Committee.
“And we are challenging the NDF to formalize the unilateral ceasefire with a bilateral ceasefire agreement to give our communities and combatants a more secure environment for the peace process,” Bello said.
Duterte ordered the resumption of peace talks with the NDF last year after more than five years of impasse.
During the first round in August, both panels agreed to reaffirm all previous signed agreements and reconstitution of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees and on the release of NDF leaders and members. – With Ding Cervantes, Elizabeth Marcelo