Goodwill to all and peace on Earth

As the Advent season ebbs to Christmastide, we continue our work as peace-builders. The renewed energy toward resuming peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines should inspire us to fan the flames of peace this Christmas season.

We commend both parties for their issuance of unilateral ceasefires. Such concrete correlating measures raise hopes and bring peace advocates into a positive frame for supporting and raising community interests in GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.

As we have continued to ring the bells as a sign of our collective call for the killings to stop in heavily affected areas like Negros island as well as throughout the archipelago, we have also been clamoring that peace talks would be a better action altogether. This Christmas season we encourage both parties to engage in confidence building measures, as they prepare and strive to resume the formal peace negotiations.

We renew our call for the parties to respect previously signed agreements, such as the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and encourage them to continue their peace negotiations towards an agreement on socio-economic reforms. Addressing the roots of the armed conflict through socio-economic reforms can contribute significantly in building peace for the toiling majority, marginalized and under-served sectors of society.

Bishop Reuel N.O. Marigza

Convenor

Pilgrims for Peace