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BREAKING: Duterte cancels peace talks with Reds

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Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) President Rodrigo Duterte announced his decision to withdraw from their peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

Duterte reportedly said he is ordering GRP negotiating panel members “to fold up the tents and come home” in a press conference in Davao City last Saturday.

“Peace talks will remain cancelled unless there is a compelling reason that will benefit the interest of the nation,” the president was also quoted as saying.

The announcement came after the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (NPA) announced last week its decision to end its unilateral ceasefire.

NPA spokesperson Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos cited Duterte’s failure to amnesty hundreds of political prisoners and the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) numerous violations of GRP’s own unilateral ceasefire for their decision.

Within a day, Duterte announced GRP’s own suspension of their unilateral ceasefire, followed by his decision to withdraw from the peace talks after just two days.

The turn of events was set off when 39th Infantry Battalion troopers overran an NPA encampment in Makilala, North Cotabato while the GRP and the NDFP were in the middle of their third round of formal negotiations in Rome, Italy last January 21.

An NPA guerilla was killed in the incident. The AFP has lost at least three soldiers since the clashes started last month that ended the longest-ever ceasefire between the two parties.

Two GRP panel members declined to comment as they have yet to be officially notified by Duterte.

The NDFP has yet to issue a statement on Duterte’s latest announcements. (Raymund B. Villanueva)

 

‘Difficult but successful’ round of talks ends in Rome

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ROME, Italy—The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) concluded their “difficult but successful” round of formal peace talks a week after it opened, five days of which were spent in “exacting” negotiations.

The parties said they achieved advances on six major issues listed on their January 18 common agenda:

  • Breakthrough in the discussion of socio-economic reforms and achieving understanding on its first four items, including agrarian reform and rural development;
    • Signing of the ground rules on the work of the Reciprocal Working Committees (RWC) on Socio-Economic Reforms (SER);
    • Exchange of drafts and initial discussions on political and constitutional reforms;
    • Signing of supplemental guidelines on the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) for the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law;
    • Submission by the GRP of its proposal for a bilateral ceasefire and the parties’ agreement to discuss it on February in The Netherlands; and
    • Agreement to a fourth round of formal peace talks in Oslo, Norway in the first week of April.

The parties likewise talked about the release of the 392 NDFP-listed political prisoners with the GRP again committing to facilitate the release of three remaining NDFP consultants Eduardo Sarmiento, Emeterio Antalan and Leopoldo Caloza through presidential clemency or other legal means.

The GRP and the NDFP also discussed the possible implementation of socio-economic projects in relation to the Joint Agreement in Support of Socioeconomic Projects of Private Development Organizations and Institutes of March 16, 1998.

“The parties have been constructive and solution-oriented. And it is very clear to us as Third Party Facilitators that both sides are genuinely committed to work towards achieving peace,” Royal Norwegian Government Special Envoy to the Philippine Peace Process Elisabeth Slattum said.

“Well, it has been difficult but successful. That is the only way I can describe this round,” NDFP chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said.

Agcaoili clarified though that he expected the successful conclusion of the negotiations on the supplemental guidelines on the JMC, the tentative agreement on the PCR, the movement on the discussion on SER as well as on its ground rules.

“Free distribution of land”

As expected, negotiations on socio-economic reforms took center stage in the Rome round of talks.

“The RWCs-SER agreed in principle to the free distribution of land to farmers and farm workers as part of the governing frame of CASER (Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms),” the parties’ Joint Statement on the Successful Third Round of Formal Talks Between the GRP and NDFP in Rome, Italy said.

Earlier, the RWCs-SER reaffirmed their earlier agreement on the Preamble and the Declaration of Principles (Part I) as the framework of the CASER.

They also identified points of agreement on Bases, Scope and Applicability (Part II) and reaffirmed their approval of Part II entitled Desired Outcomes.

The committees also reached a common understanding on the general features of the agrarian problems in the Philippines, incorporated in the Part IV of the discussions which included land distribution issues.

“While our discussions in the past days have been exacting, we were not deterred from exploring new ways and other platforms to advance the talks,” GRP panel chairperson Silvestre Bello III said in describing the success of the round.

The CASER ground rules “display our seriousness to tackle the agreement on socio-economic reforms,” Bello said.

Joma “recovering well”

The eight page Joint Statement however is silent on the announced plan of the GRP to request the United States government to delist NDFP Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria Sison from its terror list.

Sison was absent in a formal peace talks closing ceremony for the first time in 25 years,

“We would like to inform you that the chief political consultant of the NDFP, Prof. Jose Maria Sison, was hospitalized last night,” Slattum said.

“But we can assure you that he is recovering well.  And I think I speak for everybody when I say we hope that he would be back on his feet in the next few days,” she added to loud applause in the hall.

Bello asked the participants and witnesses of the closing ceremony to offer a minute of prayer for the fast recovery of Sison.

Bello and GRP panel member Angela Trinidad had to leave the ceremony early to fly to Kuwait to try to save the life of a Filipino set to be executed in the said country. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Altermidya News: Mga kaganapan sa usapang pangkapayapaan

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Mula sa Rome, Italy — Balita ng Kodao sa mga kaganapan sa 3rd round ng peace talks sa pagitan ng NDFP at GRP.

Panoorin ang ulat ng Altermidya.

Joma terror delisting, free land distribution among agreements in third round of talks

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ROME, Italy—The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and government negotiators are set to end their third round of formal talks today on a successful note with advances on the substantive agenda and new goodwill measures included in the prospective Rome Joint Statement.

NDFP chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili and his Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) counterpart Silvestre Bello III said their joint statement will include the signing of the supplemental guidelines on the Joint Monitoring Committee as well as agreements on the ground rules for future negotiations on socio-economic and political and constitutional reforms.

They also agreed to hold a special meeting in The Netherlands in February 22 or 24 to discuss the GRP proposal for a bilateral ceasefire.

“This round is turning out to be a success, despite the apparent sabotage with the killing of the activists in Negros Occidental and Surigao del Norte and the attack on the NPA (New People’s Army) encampment in North Cotabato,” Agcaoili said.

Joma Sison delisting

Bello for his part revealed that the joint statement shall include a request to the United States of America (USA) that NDFP chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison be delisted from its terror list.

“We have a basis (for such request), considering he is in the process, the peace talks, which negates the character of a terrorist,” Bello said.

Bello said it is important for Sison to be able to travel outside of Europe in response to GRP President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement he is willing to meet his former professor in any neutral Asian country.

NDFP panel member Benito Tiamzon and consultant Wilma Austria welcomed the move saying it would help in the negotiations.

“We have long been saying that the revolutionary movement, the Communist Party of the Philippines, the NPA, most especially Prof. Sison are not terrorists,” Tiamzon said.

“It is also important that President Duterte is saying he is independent of the US and this is one concrete step showing he really is independent,” Tiamzon added.

Sison has yet to issue a statement on the development.

Painstaking SER negotiations

NDFP socio-economic reforms Reciprocal Working Committee (RWC) spokesperson and agrarian and rural development focal person Randall Echanis said their bilateral meetings with their GRP counterparts have taken a few steps forward.

“For the first time, the GRP has submitted a comprehensive draft and we have agreed that both our drafts would be discussed with a matrix comparing both versions,” Echanis said.

Echanis also said that the Preamble and Declaration of Principles mostly based on the NDFP draft has already been agreed upon by the Reciprocal Workings Committees (RWC).

“We have identified commonalities on the Bases, Scope and Applicability provisions of our respective drafts and these are three important parts that our bilateral negotiations have disposed with,” Echanis said.

Echanis also revealed that the GRP has agreed in principle that there should be free land distribution to farmers, subject to consultations with other government agencies.

“We are for free land distribution while the GRP is for land distribution at least cost to the farmers.  We met halfway by saying the compensation should not come from the farmers but from the government,” he said.

“They said the NDFP draft’s use of the word of ‘confiscation’ is unconstitutional.  We clarified that land grabbed with use of violence and intimidation should be confiscated without compensation but we have no question with just compensation for landlords whose land was accumulated through just means,” Echanis clarified.

Echanis said the NDFP had been meeting GRP halfway in their negotiations as long as the essence and principle of agrarian reform is not compromised.

The closing ceremony of the third round is expected to be held at three o’clock local time (nine o’clock in the evening, Philippine time).

The fourth round of NDFP-GRP formal peace talks shall be held in April in Oslo, Norway. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

LARAWAN: 6th day of the GRP NDFP peace talks

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Rome, Italy
January 24, 2017

GRP submits proposal for bilateral ceasefire deal; NDFP files complaint on Makilala clash

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ROME, Italy— The peace negotiating panels exchanged documents today on the bilateral ceasefire proposal of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the formal complaint of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) regarding the Makilala clash last January 21.

Convening the ad hoc ceasefire committee on the fifth day of the formal talks, the parties each received from the other the documents in a brief meeting.

GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III said he is encouraged by the NDFP’s reception to their bilateral ceasefire proposal, one of the government’s major objectives in this round of talks.

“The NDFP said we will discuss our bilateral ceasefire proposal on February 22 or 24 in The Netherlands,” Bello revealed.

“I find their response reasonable,” Bello said.

Bello also revealed that the final date of their meeting next month would depend of the availability of a Dutch archbishop who will be the caretaker of the reconstituted list of NDFP Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) protected consultants and peace process participants.

“I will witness the NDFP’s submission of their list of holders of documents of identification,” Bello said.

Both parties agreed last August at the first round of formal talks in Oslo, Norway to a reconstituted list after the encrypted original list’s pass key was corrupted by a raid conducted by the Dutch police of the NDFP International Office in August 28, 2007.

The NDFP in turn submitted to the GRP Panel a letter of protest in relation to the Makilala, North Cotabato clash between the 39th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (PA) and the New People’s Army (NPA).

NDFP panel chairperson Fidel Agcaoili called the Makilala clash “a clear breach of the GRP’s own unilateral ceasefire declaration.”

A 33-year old NPA fighter was confirmed killed while Lt. Gen. Rey Guerrero, commanding officer of Eastern Mindanao Command of the AFP, denied eight PA soldiers were killed as alleged by the NPA’s Rigoberto Sanchez.

The GRP reportedly told the NDFP they will study the protest letter and wait for the official report from the AFP. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

MEME: Fidel Agcoili on PPs

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Makilala encounter gives more ground for Reds to suspend unilateral ceasefire, says NDFP

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ROME, Italy—The Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) offensive operation against a unit of the New People’s Army in Makilala, North Cotabato yesterday may give the Communist Party of the Philippines ground to suspend its unilateral ceasefire declaration, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Negotiating Panel chairperson said.

In a press briefing, Fidel Agcaoili said that it appears there is deliberate and systematic sabotage of the ongoing formal peace talks in this city.

“What is happening is similar to what happened in 2005 to 2006 where many activists were killed, presided by the very same people like National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon and AFP Chief of Staff Eduardo Año,” Agcaoili said.

Aside from the hour-long clash that killed 33-year of New People’s Army fighter Rojet Ranara, Agcaoili also cited the killing of National Federation of Sugar Workers leader Alexander Ceballos and Katribu Party Surigao del Norte provincial coordinator Veronico Delamente last January 20.

“These attacks are putting the NPA in a tough position. The AFP are occupying communities, enforcing food blockades and preventing the farmers from going to their farmlands,” Agcaoili said.

The NDFP Panel chief said the Makilala clash was a clear AFP raid of an NPA encampment as evidenced by the photographs of backpacks and rifles posted online by the 39th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.

“This is a speculation on my part, but there appears to be sabotage of the peace process.  If such is the case, the continuation of the ceasefire is becoming untenable,” Agcaoili said.

But Agcaoili clarified it is not the NDFP which would suspend their ceasefire declaration.

“The six-month standing ceasefire was declared by the CPP and the NPA upon our recommendation.  It would be up to them to suspend it based on their appreciation of the realities on the ground,” he clarified.

“The NDFP is preparing a letter of protest and we will issue a statement on the matter after,” Agcaoili said.

Bilateral ceasefire

GRP Negotiating Panel member Rene Sarmiento said the Makilala incident is not only the first test case of the newly-signed supplemental guidelines to the Joint Monitoring Committee but is another reason to forge a GRP-NDFP bilateral ceasefire agreement.

“There is more reason to sign a bilateral ceasefire agreement to be guided on what constitutes a violation. For instance, which areas are covered by the ceasefire and which are not,” Sarmiento said.

The Left’s chief peace negotiator said the NDFP is still open to discuss bilateral ceasefire proposals.

“We are set to receive the GRP’s proposal for a bilateral ceasefire (tomorrow) and we can even propose a future date for its discussion,” Agcaoili said.

He clarified however that the signing of a bilateral ceasefire agreement in this round is unlikely.

“It would not be during this round, unless Pres. Duterte declares he will release all political prisoners tomorrow,” Agcaoili said.

He added that the bilateral ceasefire agreement is dependent on the GRP’s compliance of the requisites.

“If the GRP really wants a bilateral ceasefire agreement, it should release all the political prisoners and stop their violations of their own ceasefire declaration,” Agcaoili added.

He recalled that it was Duterte who personally promised him the release of the political prisoners in May 14 and May 26 in Davao City.

But Agcaoili said Duterte admitted in their meeting in Malacañang last January 2 that the release of political prisoners is “unacceptable to the GRP military.”

“Magagalit ang militar (The military will be angry),” Duterte reportedly told Agcaoili.

“If such is the case, we can just talk while fighting,” Agcaoili said.

Agcaoili recalled that the NDFP succeeded in signing 14 major agreements with the Fidel Ramos GRP even without a ceasefire agreement.

Talks successful

Agcaoili said that the ongoing peace talksis turning out to be a success.

“We have so far signed the supplemental agreement on the Joint Monitoring Committee and there are advances in the discussions on socio-economic and political and constitutional reforms,” he said.

The third round of formal peace talks in this city is scheduled to close on Wednesday with the possible signing of the ground rules on the discussion of socio-economic reforms and a joint statement. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Karapatan: Attacks to sabotage talks?

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ROME, Italy—The death of two activists and a New People’s Army (NPA) fighter in the Philippines since the ongoing round of formal talks began last January 19 may be the work of peace saboteurs, a human rights group said.

“Are these attacks efforts to sabotage the peace talks?” Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay asked in reaction to the killing of peasant leader Alexander Ceballos in Murcia, Negros Occidental and Veronico Lapsay Delamente in Claver, Surigao del Norte last January 20 as well as the military operation that killed an NPA fighter in Makilala, North Cotabato last January 21.

“The killing of Ceballos and Delamente are cases of human rights violations while the military operation in Makilala is a violation of the reciprocal ceasefire agreements,” Palabay said.

Ceballos, a leader of the National Federation of Sugar Workers, was gunned down in his home in Barangay Pandan Silos, Murcia, Negros Occidental by a masked goon reportedly in the employ of former Don Salvador Benedicto town mayor Nehemias dela Cruz.

Delamente, a Mamanwa leader and member of Kahugpungan sa Lumadnong mga Organisasyon (Kasalo), was shot by unknown assailants in Punta Naga, Barangay Cagdianao and later died at a Surigao City hospital. He previously reported receiving death threats because of his anti-mining activities, Kasalo said.

Delamente was also the Katribu Party provincial coordinator since 2010.

In Makilala, 39th Infantry Battallion soldiers of the Philippine Army pursued an NPA unit in Barangay Biangan that resulted in an hour long gunfight and the death of a Red fighter, 33-year old Rojet Ranara.

Eight soldiers were also killed, NPA-Southern Mindanao Regional Operations Command Spokesperson Rigoberto Sanchez said.

“The war dogs of the 39th IB and the entire AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) cannot wash their hands clean of this flagrant violation of their own ceasefire. Sitio Lokatong in Barangay Biangan is a remote area that their presence can only mean an offensive operation against the NPA,” Sanchez said.

“They fool no one by claiming that their combat operation was merely in response to reports by local authorities of the presence of lawless groups, for the entire day, they actively maneuvered to engage the evading unit of the NPA,” he added.

Sanchez said the Rodrigo Duterte government should know it is the insincerity of the AFP that is the biggest impediment to the quest for just and lasting peace.

Palabay said the killings and the military operations are attacks on the ongoing peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

“Is the AFP laying the ground for further human rights violations akin to those committed under Oplan Bayanihan? Its Oplan Kapayapaan in its first three weeks is nothing but the same counter-insurgency program that unleashes war against the people and fomenting un-peace,” Palabay said.

Asked for comment, GRP Negotiating Panel chairperson Silvestre Bello III said they still have to receive an official notice from the NDFP.

“We cannot turn a deaf ear to these reports, but such incidents should not negatively affect the peace process,” Bello said.

“In fact, such incidents should compel both parties to accelerate the peace talks to its logical conclusion for a just and lasting peace,” he added. # (Raymund B. Villanueva/Featured image by Breakaway Media)