When ‘ceasefire’ means prolonging a war
PALACE HOTEL, Noordwijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands—It’s somewhen between midnight and dawn and the hotel is quiet. A solitary employee was patrolling its cavernous lobby, his footfalls echoing loudly. A few hours earlier, thousands of voices filled the hall and thousands of footfalls pounded its marble floor, creating a day-long din. But, in essence, there had only […]
Panels end tensed first day with agreement to resume informal talks tomorrow
NOORDWIJK AAN ZEE, The Netherlands—The negotiating panels of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have ended a tensed day of threats, accusations and counter-accusations by agreeing to continue their informal negotiations tomorrow, May 28, at nine o’clock in the morning (3 pm Philippine […]
Panels working to salvage 5th round
NOORDWIJK AAN ZEE, The Netherlands—The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Negotiating Panel said it is drafting a reply to its Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) counterpart as part of efforts to find common ground and allow the fifth round of formal peace negotiations to proceed. In an interview, NDFP chief […]
GRP to NDFP: ‘We will not proceed to participate, unless…’
NOORDWIJK AAN ZEE, The Netherlands—The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) announced they “would not proceed to participate” in the fifth round of formal peace negotiations until some conditions are met by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). “(We) will not proceed to participate in the scheduled fifth round of peace negotiations until […]
‘Time to unite’: NDFP panel to recommend reconsideration of order to intensify attacks vs GRP forces
AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands—The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) Negotiating Panel is recommending to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the NDFP Executive Committee a reconsideration of the order to intensify attacks against Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) forces after Department of National Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s statements against […]
Martial law may negatively affect peace talks
INSTANBUL, Turkey–President Rodrigo Duterte’s plan to declare martial law over all of the Philippines will adversely affect his government’s ongoing peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Jose Maria Sison, the group’s chief political consultant, said. In an interview, Sison said Duterte’s martial law declaration over the entire Mindanao may just be a […]
Agcaoili explains the NDFP-GRP Agreement on the Joint Interim Ceasefire
National Democratic Front of the Philippines chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili explains their Agreement on the Joint Ceasefire Agreement. In an interview in Noordwijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands last April 6, 2017 during the fourth round of formal negotiations, Agcaoili explains a joint ceasefire is yet to be agreed upon pending the approval of ground rules […]
Arrested ‘NPA commander’ a JASIG-holder
UPDATED: 3:30 PM THE National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) announced that the “top New People’s Army Commander” arrested Thursday night in Ozamiz City along with an Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) bishop is a consultant in its peace negotiations with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP). In a statement, NDFP’s chief […]
Tiamzons tailed anew; other consultants also in danger
NATIONAL Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace negotiators Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria Tiamzon were again tailed by suspected elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) after meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañan Palace Tuesday night. The Tiamzons noticed they were being tailed by two men riding separate motorcycles after meeting […]
Mariano and Taguiwalo good for CASER implementation–Sison
JOSE Maria Sison expressed alarm the Rodrigo Duterte government may find it hard to implement socio- economic reforms if the remaining “good appointees” in the cabinet fail to get the nod from the Commission on Appointments (CA). Reacting anew to the rejection of former environment and natural resources secretary Gina Lopez last week, National Democratic […]