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Teachers demand pay increase and peace

On World Teachers Day 2016, union members of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) trooped to the gates of Malacanang Palace in Manila to assert education as a right of the people. Read more

Norwegians happy with NDFP and GRP preparations for 2nd round of formal talks

Oslo, Norway. The Royal Norwegian Government praised both the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) for their preparations for the second round of formal peace negotiations in this city starting tomorrow.

Norwegian Special Envoy to the Philippine Peace Process Elisabeth Slattum said she is very pleased with how both parties prepared for this round after their August 22 to 27 negotiations.

“It’s great.  Both parties had very good meetings back in Manila,” Slattum said. Read more

Peace negotiators arrive in Oslo

OSLO, Norway. Peace negotiators of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines begun arriving in the Norwegian capital for the start of the second round of formal peace negotiations starting tomorrow. Read more

NDFP to press for agrarian reform and industrialization at 2nd round of talks with GRP

CONSULTANTS of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) emphasized the need to address genuine land reform and nationalist industrialization at the second round of their formal peace negotiations with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP).

At a press forum in Cubao, Quezon City last Friday (September 23), the consultants said both genuine socio-economic programs are the most crucial issues to the Filipino people that they will discuss with the GRP on October 6-10 in Oslo, Norway. Read more

Despite reported violations, NDFP and GRP discuss bilateral ceasefire

NATIONAL Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) representatives met Tuesday and Wednesday (September 20 and 21) at the Royal Norwegian Government’s (RNG) Embassy in Taguig City to discuss the possibility of revitalizing their Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) on human rights and international humanitarian law and the possibility of a bilateral ceasefire.

In an effort to further accelerate their peace negotiations, the NDFP and the GRP agreed to hold committee and sub-committee level discussions on both issues facilitated by Norwegian Special Envoy for the Philippine Peace Process Elizabeth Slattum.

The discussions’ agreements are currently being reviewed before their elevation to the negotiating panels for approval at their formal negotiations in Oslo, Norway on October 6 to 10.

“Whatever was agreed upon by the working groups in the Philippines will be elevated to the panel level during formal talks in Oslo for discussion and approval,” GRP Negotiating Panel member Hernani Braganza said.

“This is another breakthrough in the peace process,” Braganza said.

The NDFP was represented by panel members Fidel Agcaoili and Coni Ledesma as well as consultant Concha Araneta-Bocala while the GRP delegation was led by its committees on JMC and Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms chair Efren Moncupa at their discussion on the JMC last Tuesday.

On the verge

Formed after the February and March-April 2004 formal peace talks, the JMC is tasked to monitor the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

After JMC’s Joint Secretariat office was established in June 4, 2004, however, the GRP under the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Benigno C. Aquino governments has refused to undertake joint activities with the NDFP Monitoring Committee.

The NDFP also revealed that the Aquino administration through its Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles asked the RNG to terminate its support for the JS.

“The RNG disagreed with the proposal.  They told the GPH they could not unilaterally cease their support of the JS as it is part of the agreement enshrined in the CARHRIHL,” NDFP Negotiating Panel member and Human Rights Committee chairperson Fidel Agcaoili said.

He added that the RNG reminded the GPH that closing down the JS must be a mutual decision of the parties to the CARHRIHL.

The GRP Monitoring Committee nominated section of the JS has since been noticeably downsized while the NDFP counterpart has maintained its full complement of staff members involved in organizing and attending peace forums, publishing books and various other peace-related and human rights activities.

A total of 6,397 human rights violations complaints have been filed at the JS office in Cubao, Quezon City, as of last May 23.

Four thousand four hundred seventy one complaints have been filed against the GPH while 1,926 complaints have been filed against the NDFP.

Many of the human rights violations complaints against the GPH were connected to retired Major General Jovito Palparan and the various units under his commands during the Arroyo government.

“More durable and permanent ceasefire”

The discussions in Taguig City yesterday talked about the possibility of extending the ongoing GRP-NDFP mutual, unilateral and indefinite ceasefire declarations and proposed agreement on a joint ceasefire.

“What we have at the moment is a unilateral ceasefire declared by both parties. We hope to sign a bilateral agreement in Oslo for a joint ceasefire, which is more durable and permanent,” said Braganza, supervising panel member for the JMC and GRP ceasefire committee.

“Our aim is to harmonize the operational guidelines of the GRP and the NDF during ceasefire to avoid mis-encounters or other violations of the agreement. We are also expected to come up with a mechanism for reporting of ceasefire violations,” Braganza said.

Braganza noted that the GRP and the NDF panels earlier agreed “to reconcile and develop their separate unilateral ceasefire orders into a single unified bilateral document within 60 days.

The NDFP and allied organization Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) have reported ceasefire violations by GRP forces, however.

“Disrespect of Duterte”

The CPP reported that the 50th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army (IBPA) has arrested Marcos “Ka Munroe” Aggalao, a 73-year old retired NPA fighter at Balbalan, Kalinga last September 10.

Tipon Gil-Ayad, spokesperson of the Lejo Cawilan Command of the New People’s Army in Kalinga Province said Aggalao’s arrest violated the ongoing ceasefire declarations and the CARHRIHL because of Aggalao’s age and non-combatant status.

NDFP-Mindoro reported that Philippine National Police-Region IV B has arrested NPA member Jeffrey de los Reyes in Victoria, Oriental Mindoro last September 21 “while fulfilling his tasks for the peace process.”

Ka Ma. Patricia Andal, NDF-Mindoro spokesperson, accused the PNP as “traitors” and “insincere towards the peace talks.”

“They are boorish for disrespecting the ceasefire directive of their commander in chief Rodrigo Duterte,” Andal said.

The Celso Minguez Command of the NPA also reported that the 31st IBPA are still operating in Barangays Sinibaran, Bon-ot, Coron-coron, Cabagahan and Bariis in the town of Matnog and in Barangay San Antonio, Barcelona in Sorsogon despite  the Armed Forces of the Philippines’s reported confirmation that GRP troops have been recalled from their combat operations in accordance with President Duterte’s ceasefire declaration.

“They remain in these areas.  Meanwhile, they again conducted operations in Barangay Calateo in the municipality of Juban (Sorsogon) since the morning September 15, 2016,” NPA’s Celso Minguez Command spokesperson Samuel Guerrero said in a press statement.

“The actions of the 31st IBPA troops violate its own ceasefire and the order of their Commander-in-Chief, President Duterte, to strictly abide the Suspension of Offensive Military Operations (SOMO) of the AFP,” Guerrero said.

Meanwhile, OPAPP announced the composition of the GRP and the NDFP’s ceasefire committees.

Ceasefire committees formed

“The GRP ceasefire committee is chaired by Dr. Francisco Lara, currently Philippine Country Director of Philippine Alert; with members that include Dr. Jaime Aristotle Alip, Atty. Adel Abas, retired police Senior Supt. Wilmer Panabang and Atty. Marie Dinah Tolentino-Fuentes,” OPAPP in a statement said.

It also said that Agcaoili is NDFP’s ceasefire committee chairperson with NDFP consultants Benito Tiamzon, Rafael Baylosis, Tirso Alcantara and Alfredo Mapano as members. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Second round of GRP-NDFP talks to be held earlier

THE Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) has announced that the second round of peace negotiations between the Duterte government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) will be moved to earlier dates.

“The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the NDFP have agreed to adjust the schedule of the second round of the peace negotiations in Oslo from October 8-12 to October 6-10,” the OPAPP in a media advisory said.

It also announced that the next round shall be at the Holmenfjord Hotel, venue of the only formal talks between the Benigno Aquino government and the NDFP in February 2011.

Patmei Ruivivar, OPAPP information officer, said that GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III is scheduled to attend  the National Public Employment Service Office Congress with President Duterte on October 13 in Cebu City.

Bello is concurrently the Duterte government’s Department of Labor and Employment secretary.

“It was a mutually agreed adjustment communicated through representatives from both panels and coordinated with the Royal Norwegian Government,” Ruivivar said. # (Report and featured image by Raymund B. Villanueva)

NDFP consultants come home to UP

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC FRONT OF THE pHILIPPINES (NDFP) peace consultants Benito Tiamzon, Wilma Austria Tiamzon, Jaime Soledad, Rey Claro Casambre, Rafael Baylosis, visited the University of the Philippines in Diliman Quezon City for the first time since their release from prison or going above-ground last September 15.

The group was welcomed by UP Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan and vice-chancellor Nestor Castro at the iconic Oblation and were given the sablay. Read more

A talk with the Tiamzons on the GRP-NDFP peace talks (Part 2)

THE Tiamzons, Benito and Wilma, explain the revolutionary struggle and the struggle for reforms . They also clarified the interim nature of the indefinite ceasefire mutually and unilaterally declared by the GRP and the NDFP and the possibility of forging a bilateral ceasefire as both parties negotiate on the substantial agenda of the peace talks.

Watch part 2 of highlights of the  public forum on the GRP-NDFP peace talks last September 10, 2016 at the Fisher Mall in Quezon City.

The forum was facilitated by UP Professor Sarah Raymundo.  Edited with footages from Kodao Productions and produced for Kababayan4Change, a network of Pinoys abroad seeking change with the Duterte administration.

Read more

A talk with the Tiamzons on the GRP-NDFP peace talks (Part 1)

TOP revolutionary leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon gave an overview of the resumption of peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), including the social and economic reforms agenda, and what the people can and must do beyond the negotiations.

The forum was held by Kapayapaan Campaign for a Just and Lasting Peace on September 9, 2016 at the Fisher Mall in Quezon City. Read more

Tiamzons urge support for peace talks

In their first ever public forum at the Fisher Mall in Quezon City last September 10, couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon called on all patriotic Filipinos to grab the chance to advance genuine social reforms afforded by the Duterte government’s peace ongoing peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Here are photos with an audio clip of the SRO (standing room only) event. (Photos by Raymund Villanueva. Editing by Pom Cahilog Villanueva) Read more