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Duterte tirade may adversely affect talks–Agcaoili

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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)

GRP ‘preconditions’ and ‘creeping nationwide martial rule’ set back talks–CPP

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NOORDWIJK AAN ZEE, The Netherlands—The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) blamed the Rodrigo Duterte government for the cancellation of the fifth round of formal negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), saying the setback is Manila government’s sole responsibility.

The Government of the Republic of the Philippines’ (GRP) decision not to participate in the fifth round of talks was brought about by its all-out war and martial law, the CPP in a statement said.

The group said the GRP demanded that the NPA silence its guns while “AFP’s (Armed Forces of the Philippines) cannons, bombs and heavy gunfire thunder against the people.”

The CPP said the GRP Negotiating Panel “imposed unnecessary, last-minute and unacceptable preconditions for talks to proceed.”

It added the GRP’s decision has effectively derailed and set back negotiations on a Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER).

The CPP said the GRP insisted that the NDFP sign a bilateral ceasefire agreement prior to the negotiations on any other substantive agreement and the CPP recall its declaration to the NPA to carry out more military offensives in the face of its own all-out war and imposition of martial law in Mindanao.

Such demands have become increasingly counterproductive, the underground organization said.

Creeping nationwide martial rule

The group explained its order for more tactical offensives against GRP forces was merely a response to defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s statement the NPA may be a target of the GRP’s martial law imposition.

The CPP said it heard the retraction by Defense Secretary Lorenzana that martial law in Mindanao is not directed against the NPA but said it was “empty and self-contradicted by his consequent order for the military to go against the NPA for its ‘illegal activities’.”

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.

“The Party joins the people in denouncing the creeping nationwide martial rule,” it added.

Norwegian government still supportive of the peace process

Meanwhile, Elisabeth Slattum, Royal Norwegian Government Special Envoy to the Philippine Peace Process said her government remains committed to their support of the peace negotiations.

“It is very unfortunate that this round of formal talks could not take place as scheduled. But it is important to remember that all peace processes go through difficult times,” Slattum told reporters after the cancellation announcements.

“What defines a successful peace process is not the absence of crises but the ability of the parties to overcome them and push through,” she said, adding she witnessed how the negotiating panels showed “great dedication and commitment to these peace negotiations.”

“It is important to specify that although this fifth round of formal talks will not take place, the peace talks have not been cancelled and the peace process remains intact. Norway is very hopeful that the parties will be able to return to the negotiating table very soon,” Slattum said.# (Raymund B. Villanueva/Featured photo by Viory Schellekens)

 

GRP announces non-participation in fifth round of formal talks

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NOORDWIJK AAN ZEE, The Netherlands—The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) has announced it will not participate in the fifth round of formal peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

In a press conference, Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza and GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III said there are no clear indications that an enabling environment conducive for the formal talks to proceed has been achieved after two days of informal and backchannel negotiations.

“This is a temporary setback which has also happened in the past.  This only means we need to work harder on the peace process,” Bello said.

Dureza refused to explain their reasons and just asked the reporters present at the press briefing to report their statements “as stated.”

GRP negotiators, however, has repeatedly said earlier it wants the CPP to rescind its order to the NPA of intensified operations against government troops in light of defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s statement the rebel guerrillas are among the targets of President Rodrigo Duterte’s martial law declaration over all of the Mindanao region.

“It would be a factor,” Dureza replied when asked if the GRP would resume formal peace negotiations in case the CPP complies to the demand.

Dureza and Bello said President Rodrigo Duterte is aware of the GRP panel’s decision.

In reply, NDFP chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said the cancellation of the fifth round was “GRP’s decision and responsibility.”

“Contrary to the GRP allegations, the NPA operations cannot be attributed to the failure of the CPP-NPA-NDFP leadership to control their ground forces.  Rather, they (CPP directives) are defensive and counter-offensive responses to the AFP provocative actions and offensive operations,” the NDFP, in a prepared statement, said.

The NDFP said the GRP is obscuring the fact that its forces “have been waging an ‘all-out-war’ against the NPA, conducting offensive operations and aerial bombings of communities regardless of ‘collateral damage’ – all on the direct and standing orders of President Duterte.”

Agcaoili said the GRP should consider stopping its all-out-war policy first before issuing “vague demands” to the NDFP.

Peace process to continue

The GRP said they are not terminating the entire peace process with the NDFP in their decision not to participate in the fifth round of talks.

The NDFP agreed with the GRP and said they expect their counterparts to respect previously-signed agreement such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law as well the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.

“We expect the GRP to respect the safety of our negotiators and consultants once they go home to the Philippines after this and as they go about their work as peace workers,” Agcaoili said.

Agcaoili also said they are willing to resume formal peace negotiations as soon as the GRP decides to go back to the negotiating table.

He also said the NDFP may seek an audience with President Duterte to seek clarifications in the near future.

“I would like to think that he (Duterte) still wants to sign a final peace agreement with the NDFP,” Agcaoili said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

LARAWAN: Misa para sa kapayapaan

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Noordwijk, The Netherlands
May 28, 2017

Parties begin second day with a Holy Mass

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NOORDWIJK AAN ZEE, The Netherlands—The mood considerably improved between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) this morning, helped by a Holy Mass celebrated by Tuguegarao Archbishop and first time peace talks observer Sergio Utleg.

Panel members of both parties attended what probably is the first celebration of a Holy Roman Catholic Mass during the negotiations since the peace talks started in 1986.

In his homily, Utleg extolled the parties to “work harder for peace.”

“Peace be with you. But for Christ’s peace to pervade over our land, we need men and women of peace,” Utleg said.

We trust that our negotiators on both sides will be anointed by God’s Spirit so that His sons and daughters in (our) land that has already been drenched by so much blood may at least walk the ways of peace,” Utleg added.

The Archbishop is an active supporter of the peace process, repeatedly hosting peace forums within his jurisdiction.

After the celebration, the parties immediately retreated to a room to resume their informal talk in an effort to proceed with the formal round.

Backchannel talks were also held during breakfast and in between the informal talk.

The parties continue to refuse to divulge details of their informal talks to the media but are hinting the formal opening may still proceed within the day. # (Raymund B. Villanueva/Photo by Jola Diones-Mamangun)

When ‘ceasefire’ means prolonging a war

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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 been worthless silence. There have been lots of noises but there has been little said that could accelerate the peace negotiations to its hoped-for just conclusion.

The scheduled opening of the fifth round of formal peace negotiations did not happen. Again.  For the second consecutive time, in this hotel, what was supposed to be a day spent for formal talks became a frantic day of threats, accusations and counter-accusations, and backchannel meetings and tactics.

It was all because of a word: ceasefire.

Last April, the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) Negotiating Panel submitted to its National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) counterpart a demand for a bilateral ceasefire agreement before the fourth round of talks are yet to formally open.  It was among GRP President Rodrigo Duterte’s four “barest conditionalities.”  That round’s formal opening eventually pushed through after a day, but not before the word “ceasefire” put the negotiations in jeopardy.  It took the considerable skill of both panels (composed of many veteran negotiators) to look for ways to work around the obstacle.

The parties’ solution was to agree to forge a bilateral ceasefire agreement after ground rules and definition of terms have been agreed upon and while negotiations on socio-economic reforms as well as political and constitutional reforms are being accelerated.  It was a brilliant compromise, well thought-out to satisfy both the NDFP’s insistence on meaningful social reforms and the GRP’s desire for a stop to the New People’s Army’s (NPA) punishing attacks against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The round ended successfully, with assurances that both sides would thenceforth give primacy on socio-economic reforms negotiations.

They did. Back in Manila, the parties, unilaterally and bilaterally, convened their working committees and pushed things forward, especially on agrarian reform and rural development.  They agreed on more items and clarified matters on contentious points.  It was thought the negotiating panels would only have to receive and approve the recommendations of the reciprocal working committees on socio-economic reforms and the fifth round would have been one of the most successful ever.

But came the demand for a bilateral ceasefire before the formal opening. Again.

Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said they met with President Rodrigo Duterte Wednesday when the demand for the CPP to rescind its order to the NPA to further intensify its military operations against the AFP was issued.  In a press conference yesterday, however, the GRP said a bilateral ceasefire is actually part of the demand.

The meeting, however, was mainly a command conference on the administration of Duterte’s martial law declaration over the entire Mindanao region following a botched AFP operation against an armed group in Marawi City.  The two demands, therefore, were made under the context of a crisis not of NPA’s doing. Yet, GRP defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana dragged the NPA into the martial law fray that led its political organ, the CPP, no choice but to issue its own directive.  By the time the NDFP panel indirectly learned of Lorenzana’s withdrawal of his controversial statement, the two demands had already been submitted to the NDFP.

The NDFP expectedly took exception. Newly-designated NDFP panel spokesperson and former chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni told reporters that should the GRP panel walk out of the talks because the NDFP could no longer accommodate the demands as it did last April, “it was the GRP who made the decision to cancel the round.”

What was claimed to be a pitch for a goodwill measure has become a stumbling block to the acceleration of the negotiations for the substantive agenda of socio-economic reforms.  What was repeatedly-billed as a measure to reduce the number of battlefield deaths on both sides is preventing real negotiations from proceeding.  What is being touted as a beneficial agreement for the marginalized, especially peasant and indigenous peoples’ communities, is making it harder for the panels to find real solutions to landlessness, poverty and joblessness, lack of national sovereignty, lack of self determination of indigenous peoples and Bangsamoro, and environmental destruction.

Grotesquely, the word “ceasefire” is becoming another reason for prolonging the nearly 50-year civil war.

The Agreement on a Joint Ceasefire Agreement is among the agreed-upon issues to be tackled once the fifth round has been formally opened, not before.  The ceasefire committees have met back in Manila and are supposed to present the result of their discussions to the panels assembled.  It would be beneficial to the peace process if the ceasefire proposal would be tackled during the formal negotiations.

One hopes the second day of the fifth round would just be like the second day of the fourth round when the parties agreed to proceed to negotiate on the substantive agenda and not be sidetracked by a side issue.  One hopes the word “ceasefire” would not be a reason for a cancelled round, but an incentive after the root causes of the armed conflict have been addressed.

By then, it would no longer be temporary but permanent, not unilateral or bilateral but uniting. By then, it would genuinely be a cessation of hostilities spawned by the dawning of a just and lasting peace. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

 

Panels end tensed first day with agreement to resume informal talks tomorrow

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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 time) as part of their ongoing efforts to save the fifth round of formal peace talks.

NDFP panel spokesperson Luis Jalandoni told reporters Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza requested for the postponement of the resumption of their panel-to-panel meeting originally scheduled at eight o’clock this evening (4 am Philippine time).

The parties met at 6:30 in the evening (12:30 am Philippine time) for the NDFP to submit a written reply to the GRP’s statement it would not participate in the fifth round of talks unless the Communist Party of the Philippines rescinds its earlier order to the New People’s Army to further intensify its military operations against state forces.

The NDFP also said the GRP asked them to sign a bilateral ceasefire agreement for the fifth round to proceed.

Reacting to the NDFP’s written reply, GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III said the NDFP reply is “worth looking into.”

Both the NDFP and the GRP refused to divulge the contents of the reply, however, saying they have mutually agreed to keep the current informal negotiations between themselves.

Their early evening discussion was attended by the Third Party Facilitator, the Royal Norwegian Government.

The GRP and the NDFP are still trying to save what appeared earlier in the day to be an imminent cancellation of the round, sources from both parties said.

Bello and NDFP counterpart Fidel Agcaoili were seen holding backchannel talks in between panel-to-panel discussions in apparent efforts to save the formal round.

The parties originally scheduled to hold the round’s formal opening ceremony today.

Earlier, Agcaoili said it is the third consecutive round the GRP presented conditionalities before the peace negotiations formally opened.

The GRP has been consistently asking the NDFP for a bilateral ceasefire agreement since the third round in Rome last January, to which the NDFP repeatedly replied is only possible after socio-economic reforms as well as political and constitutional reforms agreements have already been signed and implemented in accordance with The Hague Joint Declaration of September 1, 1992.

Both parties said the fifth round is still possible.# (Raymund B. Villanueva)

 

 

 

LARAWAN: Mga pangunahing tagapagsalita at negosyador sa usapang pangkapayapaan

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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

 

Panels working to salvage 5th round

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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 negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said the NDFP Panel is ready to talk about socio-economic reforms and other substantive agenda set in their April 6 Joint Statement.

Agcaoili added their reply shall clarify to the GRP the NDFP panel could not order the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to retract its order to the New People’s Army (NPA) to further intensify their offensive operations against the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police.

He explained the CPP’s directive was a response to GRP defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s statements that the NPA was among the targets of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Martial Law declaration over the entire Mindanao region.

Agcaoili cited bombings of communities in North Cotabato and Bukidnon that killed one civilian and injured several others in the past two days.

“There are NPA units operating in those areas,” he said.

He added that they could only recommend to the CPP in much the same way that GRP’s chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III and Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza could not order the AFP and the GRP security cluster to withdraw their all-out war policy against the NPA and lift President Rodrigo Duterte’s martial law declaration over the entire Mindanao region.

Agcaoili said they have gone as far as they could go in recommending to the CPP to reconsider its order to the NPA.

GRP’s ceasefire demand

Agcaoili revealed the NDFP panel was also told by the GRP panel it wants a bilateral ceasefire agreement signed during the fifth round.

“We have made our position clear that until we reach an agreement on social and economic reforms as well as political and constitutional reforms, there could never be a ceasefire,” Agcaoili said.

“We hope they would receive our reply positively so that, hopefully, we can proceed with the opening ceremony of the fifth round tomorrow,” Agcaoili said.

Abella’s statement wrong

GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III, for his part, clarified that Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella’s statement is wrong.

“The government of the Philippines will not proceed with the scheduled 5th rounds of peace negotiations in The Netherlands,” Abella said in a statement in Manila.

Abella’s announcement was lifted from Dureza’s prepared statement read to Filipino and Dutch journalists covering the talks.

Informed of Abella’s announcement, GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello looked surprised but said such statements should only come from the government panel present in The Netherlands.

“The fifth round is still a possibility,” Bello said.

The panels are set to meet again at five o’clock in the afternoon (local time, 11 pm Philippine time) in a last ditch effort to salvage the scheduled fifth round. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

 

GRP to NDFP: ‘We will not proceed to participate, unless…’

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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 such time as there are clear indications that an enabling environment conducive to achieving just and sustainable peace in the land through peace negotiations across this table shall prevail,” the GRP, through Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, said.

Dureza cited the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) order to the New People’s Army (NPA) to further intensify its military operations against GRP forces as a “defiant, blatant and serious challenge to the Duterte administration” as a reason for their decision.

“We want the CPP to retract their directive to the NPA,” Dureza said.

The GRP also said they are “suggesting” to the NDFP that a bilateral ceasefire agreement is signed during the round.

This is the second time the GRP submitted to its counterpart a set of demands before a formal opening to a round of formal peace negotiations.

The fourth round of talks in this city last April was postponed by a day while the parties looked for ways to respond to President Rodrigo Duterte’s four “barest conditionalities”.

“Defense of the people”

The CPP earlier ordered the NPA to “defend the people” against a possible increase of human rights violations, especially after Duterte’s May 22 martial law declaration over the whole of Mindanao.

The CPP also reacted to National Defense secretary Delfin’s Lorenzana’s statement that the NPA was among the targets of Duterte’s martial law.

GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III, however, said they have already “clarified that the NPA is not among the targets of Duterte’s martial law declaration.”

Lorenzana on Saturday, May 27, said the Armed Forces of the Philippines “will not specifically target” the NPA in the government’s martial law implementation in Mindanao.

Lorenzana issued the media statement a few hours before the scheduled opening of the fifth round of formal talks and in response to NDFP chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison’s call for the GRP and the NDFP forces to unite against terrorism.

5th round still possible

The NDFP through its spokesperson Luis Jalandoni said that should the fifth round of negotiations are cancelled, “the decision was made by the GRP.”

In an interview, Jalandoni said the GRP’s demand to the CPP is a new one and it was not included in their April 6 Joint Statement that the fifth round of talks shall focus on the socio-economic reforms agenda.

He added that a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement also must only come after ground rules for its implementation have been forged by the parties.

“We are supposed to be talking while fighting like the parties have successfully done in the past, especially during the Ramos regime,” Jalandoni said.

NDFP chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said they are still trying to find ways for the 5th round to proceed but “will not be blackmailed into agreeing into a premature bilateral ceasefire agreement.”

GRP panel member Hernani Braganza said there is still hope for the round as long as both panels are in this city and are still willing to talk. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)