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CPP: Still no refrain order from Duterte

Has President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to stop its all-out war against the New People’s Army (NPA) yet?, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) asked Malacañan in a statement today.

Reacting to a statement yesterday by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella questioning the Left’s sincerity in resuming formal peace negotiations in light of recent clashes between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the NPA, the CPP asked the Duterte government if it would order its troops to stop attacks against the rebel guerrillas at all. Read more

Duterte points at Lorenzana for US presence in Marawi

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte said it was the Defense department that decided to seek help from the United States armed forces in the ongoing battle for Marawi City.

In a press briefing during a visit to wounded soldiers in Cagayan de Oro City today, Duterte said he did not know the US military was already in Marawi helping the Armed Forces of the Philippines fight the Maute and Abu Sayyaf terror groups.

“I am not aware of that until they arrived. When I declared martial law, I gave the power to the defense department,” the President said as he gestured at National Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana standing beside him. Read more

Duterte terminating peace talks, Joma says.

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands—The Rodrigo Duterte government is no longer interested and has practically terminated its peace negotiations with the Left, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison said.

Replying to Duterte’s statements he is terminating the talks, Sison said the Manila government is now only bent on the surrender and pacification of the revolutionary forces and the people.

“It is not interested in social, economic and political reforms,” Sison said.

In his speech before soldiers in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay yesterday, Duterte said he is not keen on accepting NDFP’s offer for the NPA to fight with government troops against terror groups in Mindanao.

“I don’t know but I’m not so keen about it. Anyway, it’s a show of goodwill…It’s either we continue to talk about peace but we have to stop fighting,” Duterte said.

“I will not allow any talks on my behalf or ako kasi ang nandoon si Dureza pati si Bello. I will not allow them or authorize to go back to the negotiating table without them signing a document, unilateral kanila, they say that they would stop fighting,” he added.

In Malacañan last June 1, Duterte also said he terminated the negotiations.

“No more talks. And I have been saying it time and again, we have been fighting this war for 50 years. I’m asking now, the communists, are you ready to fight another 50 (years)?” Duterte said.

Duterte’s latest tirades came after his negotiating panel announced it “will not participate” in the fifth round of talks without a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement with the NDFP.

The GRP also demanded that the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) rescind its order to the New People’s Army for more military operations against government troops in light of Duterte’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

The NDFP Negotiating Panel said the cancellation of the round was the decision and responsibility of its GRP counterpart.

“The GRP or Duterte cannot order the NDFP Negotiating Panel to just issue a unilateral ceasefire declaration without a panel-to-panel discussion on what the ceasefire declarations by both sides mean. He is now saying the NDFP should declare a ceasefire on its own, which is crazy,” Sison said.

“The revolutionary movement can never agree to a surrender and pacification scheme under the guise of a protracted and prolonged ceasefire that is one-sided and lays aside the demands of the people for social, economic and political reforms,” he added. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees

Ano ang ibig sabihin ng Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) at ano ang kaugnayan nito sa peace negotiations sa pagitan ng Government of the Republic of the Philippines at National Democratic Front of the Philippines?

Panayam kina Fidel Agcaoili at Prof. Jose Maria Sison ng National Democratic Front of the Philippines
Noordwijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands
May 31, 2017

Sagot ng NDFP sa pahayag ni Pangulong Duterte hinggil sa pag-aresto sa mga NDFP Consultants

Sagot nina NDFP Chief Negotiator Fidel Agcaoili at Chief Political Consultant Prof Jose Maria Sison hinggil sa huling pahayag ni Pangulong Duterte sa mga NDFP Consultants.

Noordwijk, The Netherlands
May 31, 2017

Duterte tirade may adversely affect talks–Agcaoili

NOORDWIJK AAN ZEE, The Netherlands—The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) said President Rodrigo’s latest tirade against them may have adverse effects on the peace negotiations.

NDFP chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said they are still studying all the possible implications of Duterte’s statement, adding “it will be problematic for people here (NDFP negotiators and consultants) to go home just to be arrested.”

In his speech during the 119th anniversary of the Philippine Navy in Davao City earlier today, Duterte said he is warning the leaders (of the Communist Party of the Philippines [CPP]) not to come home from the aborted fifth round of formal talks in this city.

“I will arrest all of you and throw you to the slammer. I will imprison you and all the elderly I will arrest you again,” Duterte said.

“And if needed, you will just die there inside the prison.  You know you cannot run anymore,” he added.

Agcaoili said NDFP legal advisers are looking for ways to ensure the safety of the consultants.

“When the consultants were given visas, it was made clear to them they should not seek asylum (in Europe).  With this new development, they may be forced to do so.  But it would have to be their personal decision,” Agcaoili said.

The fifth round of formal negotiations scheduled on May 27 to April 1 in this city was aborted when the GRP insisted on a joint bilateral ceasefire and a retraction of the CPP’s directive to the NPA to further intensify its attacks against government forces in light of Duterte’s martial law declaration in Mindanao.

GRP may declare unilateral ceasefire

Agcaoili made clear the NDFP would not be forced into declaring a unilateral ceasefire in light of Duterte’s outburst.

“If the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) wants, they can declare a unilateral ceasefire with the revolutionary forces. Then we can consider it favorably,” he said.

“In doing so, the GRP would be making it very clear the target of martial law in Mindanao is only the Maute group.  They would be making it very clear the New People’s Army is not a target,” Agcaoili said.

The NDFP repeatedly said the CPP’s order to the NPA to further intensify its military operations against the Armed Forces of the Philippines was merely a reaction to GRP defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s statement the NPA may be among the targets of martial law in Mindanao.

The CPP for its part cited Lorenzana’s retraction as “empty and self-contradicted by his consequent order for the military to go against the NPA,” as their reason for not rescinding its own order to its armed wing.

The group said that even as Duterte’s martial law declaration covers only Mindanao, all GRP military units and police forces have gone on red or full alert in North Luzon, Central Luzon, the National Capital Region, Bicol Region, Central Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Negros and Panay.

“They have imposed their threatening armed presence in public places, parked tanks in government offices and roadsides. Checkpoints have been set up as well in Tacloban City on the utterly ridiculous reason of ‘solidarity with martial law in Mindanao,’” the CPP said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva/Featured photo by Viory Schellekens)

Mindanao activists protest Duterte’s martial law in Mindanao

Bangsamoro and Lumad activists led a protest action in Camp Aguinaldo after the Rodrigo Duterte government declared martial law in Mindanao.

The protesters said incidents of human rights violations have increased immediately after the May 23 declaration while paramilitary forces with outstanding warrants of arrests are brazenly coming out in the open in the company of the very state units tasked to arrest them. (Videography by Ivan Dexter Tolentino and Esther Anne Cabrillas / Editing by Jo Maline D. Mamangun)

Read more

LARAWAN: Misa para sa kapayapaan

Noordwijk, The Netherlands
May 28, 2017

LARAWAN: Mga pangunahing tagapagsalita at negosyador sa usapang pangkapayapaan

 

Habang hindi pa pormal na binubuksan ang usapang pangkapayapaan, nagpalitan na ng mga pahayag ang magkabilang panig, ang GRP at NDFP, hinggil sa dapat pa bang ituloy ang 5th round of formal talks. Patuloy na naghihintay ang mga mamamahayag sa kahihinatnan ng pulong ng dalawang  panig ngayong hapon.

The Netherlands, May 27, 2017

 

LARAWAN: Black Friday protest: No to Martial Law in Mindanao