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NPA frees police officer in Bukidnon

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THE New People’s Army (NPA) freed a third prisoner of war (POW) yesterday, April 27, in Barangay Dominorog, Talakag, Bukidnon, a National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant said.

The NPA turned over Police Officer 2 Gerome Anthony Natividad to Regional X Peace and Order Council chairperson and Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno and Sowing the Seeds of Peace convenor and Iglesia Filipina Independiente Bishop Felixberto Calang, NDFP Negotiating Panel Ceasefire Committee member Alfredo Mapano said.

Natividad was found to be innocent of crimes against the people and was released in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Mapano said.

Mapano added Natividad should have been released earlier but the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) “refused to cooperate by ordering a Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO).”

“The NPA custodial unit found a way to release Natividad without a SOMO as it is confident Moreno and party would not be harmed by the AFP anyway,” he said.

Earlier, Ka Cesar Renerio, NDFP-North Central Mindanao Region in a February 23 statement assured Natividad’s family he will be released unharmed, provided the AFP ceases its military operations in the region.

Natividad was captured at a checkpoint put up by the NPA’s Mt. Kitanglad Sub-regional Command at Kilometer 28, Duminorog, Kitanglad last February 9.

The NDFP committed to the release of four POWs in its joint statement with its Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) counterpart in The Netherlands last April 6.

“The two (2) Parties agreed to undertake necessary measures to effect the immediate, safe and expeditious release of AFP and PNP elements held captive by the NPA in Eastern Mindanao, with the captives held in Socsargen to be release before Easter and those in Bukidnon and Caraga after Easter,” the statement said.

Sgt. Solaiman Calocop and Private First Class (PFC) Samuel Garay, both captured in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat on February 2 were released last April 19 in Matanao, Davao del Norte province.

PFC Edwin Salan, captured in Alegria, Surigao del Norte on January 29, is the last remaining NPA POW.

Ceasefire committee meeting

Meanwhile, the NDFP and GRP ceasefire committees met at the Royal Norwegian Embassy this afternoon in accordance with activities set by both parties at the end of the fourth round of formal negotiations earlier this month.

Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Erik Førner hosted the meeting.

“We just exchanged views on our respective definitions of ‘buffer zones’ and ‘hostile acts’ and we presented our respective views on the matter of third party monitoring of the prospective joint ceasefire,” Mapano said.

Earlier, GRP Ceasefire Committee head Hernani Braganza announced on his social media accounts they met with AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año and staff last April 27 on the progress of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.

The GRP and the NDFP are set to hold their fifth round of formal negotiations in Noordwijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands starting May 26. # (Raymund B. Villanueva/Photo of PO2 Natividad from Ang Kalihukan You Tube Channel)

Rampage, human rights group says of arrests of consultants and civilians after talks suspension

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Human rights group Karapatan said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have gone berserk in arresting as many as 19 peace consultants, activists and other civilians after the suspension of formal peace negotiations between the Rodrigo Duterte government and the Left.

Karapatan said those nabbed from February 3 to 12 are civilians and activists arrested on “trumped-up criminal charges.” Read more

JASIG and talks termination ‘unjust, unreasonable and improper’–NDFP

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THE National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) announced today it cannot acknowledge receipt of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines’ (GRP) “cancellation” of the peace talks.

In a statement, NDFP chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said Presidential Peace Adviser on the Peace Process’ letter dated February 7 should have been sent to the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NDFP and not jointly in one letter to Prof. Jose Ma. Sison as Chief Political Consultant and himself as Chairperson of the Negotiating Panel.

“The NDFP Negotiating Panel and its consultants draw their authority from the NEC of the NDFP based in the country,” Agcaoili reminded Dureza.

“The original of the letter should also be sent by mail or courier to the NDFP Information Office in The Netherlands to be formally received by the NDFP Negotiating Panel,” Agcaoili added.

Agcaoili earlier said they have received a copy of Dureza’s notice only through electronic mail.

Agcaoili said they note Dureza’s notice was “improperly addressed.”

Unjust and unreasonable

The NDFP also scored the GRP for its unjust and unreasonable termination of the peace talks and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

“There is no fair and just reason for the GRP to terminate the peace negotiations less than two weeks after the two Negotiating Panels had successfully concluded their third round of talks in Rome, Italy,” Agcaoili said.

Agcaoili pointed out the “significant advances” made in the substantive agenda of the peace negotiations as shown by the GRP-NDFP Rome Joint Statement of January 25, 2017.

  • The signing of the Supplemental Guidelines for the Joint Monitoring Committee for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
  • The exchange of complete drafts of their respective Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) and their substantial agreement on the Preamble; Declaration of Principles; Bases, Scope and Applicability; and Desired Outcome. The parties have also reached common understanding on the general features of the agrarian problems in the country as well as a general agreement to a free distribution of land to farmers under the prospective CASER. The parties also approved and signed the Ground Rules for the Conduct of the Formal Meetings between the Reciprocal Workings Committees on Socio Economic Reforms meant to accelerate the discussions of drafts and hopefully craft a final common draft by the deadline set this year.
  • The exchange of drafts of their respective tentative drafts of the Comprehensive Agreement on Political and Constitutional Reforms (CAPCR), as well as their respective comparative matrices of the drafts.
  • The agreement of the parties’ respective ceasefire committees to meet in The Netherlands on 22-27 February 2017 and discuss their respective drafts of the bilateral ceasefire as well as a date for the next (fourth) round of formal talks in Oslo, Norway on April 2 to 6, 2017.

In his closing statement at the Rome round of formal talks, Sison projected that, at the rate the negotiations have been going, the CASER and CAPCR can be signed by the Negotiating Panels and approved by their respective Principals in 2017 in time for the founding of a “Federal Republic of the Philippines” in 2018.

“With the above progress in the talks, it is unreasonable for any Party to unilaterally terminate the peace negotiations without just cause and squander the gains so far achieved,” Agcaoili said.

Agcaoili noted that the GRP Negotiating Panel through its chairperson Silvestre Bello III initially recommended the continuation of the talks.

“The government peace panel has recommended to the President (Rodrigo Duterte) that we stand by our unilateral ceasefire.  We look forward to meeting with our NDF counterparts for the fourth round of talks in April and to discuss the possibility of a bilateral ceasefire agreement on February 22, as agreed upon during the third round of talks held in Rome,” Bello said in a statement last February 1.

“The recommendation of the GRP Negotiating Panel to proceed with the talks as scheduled should have been heeded instead of the lies and warmongering of the peace spoilers,” Agcaoili said.

“The NDFP cannot be a party to an unjust, unreasonable and improper termination of the JASIG.  The GRP bears full responsibility for its unilateral decision,” he added. (Raymund B. Villanueva)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kasunduan sa Joint Monitoring Committee ng CARHRIHL, pinimarhan ng NDFP at GRP

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Nagbunga na ng isang mahalagang kasunduan ang kasalukuyang formal na negosasyon sa pagitan ng National Democratic Front of the Philippines at Gubyerno ng Republika ng Pilipinas sa ikatlong araw nito ditto sa Roma, Italya.

Pinirmahan kahapon ng umaga rito ang supplemental guidelines para sa Joint Monitoring Committee ng Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law o CARHRIHL.

Ayon sa magkabilang panig, mahalaga ang kasunduang ito dahil nagpapakita ito ng kaseryosohan ng parehong GRP at NDFP na isulong ang usapang pangkapayapaan at magbigay ng pakinabang sa mamamayan. Read more

‘First achievement of the 3rd round’: Parties sign supplemental guidelines of Joint Monitoring Committee

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ROME, Italy—The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) signed the supplemental guidelines to the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) on the third day of their third round of talks. Read more

People’s orgs press for release of political prisoners via general amnesty

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Members of peasant organizations, rights advocates and Church-based organizations today held a rally at Mendiola to call on the Duterte government to immediately release the 392 political prisoners through general amnesty. The rally came a day before the resumption of the 3rd round of formal talks between the GPH and NDFP. Read more