THE peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) have resumed in Manila this week. The two parties will continue their discussions in the Philippines on various issues, such as establishing a bilateral ceasefire, before a new round of talks in Oslo in October.
Government peace panelist and former Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani A. Braganza said the continuation of discussions in the Philippines is expected to accelerate the establishment of a final peace agreement.
Braganza said after the resumption of the negotiations in Taguig on September 20, the government and the NDF will continue discussions on the details of the peace agreement through their respective subcommittees.
“This is another breakthrough in the peace process. The peace panels, through their committees and subcommittees, are holding talks in the Philippines, not only in Oslo, to fast-track the peace negotiations,” Braganza said in a statement.
“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,” Braganza added.
In the resumption of the negotiations on September 20, the two parties agreed in principle to “revitalize” the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) which monitors the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).
Braganza said this agreement in principle, and the joint efforts to establish a bilateral cease-fire will help ensure the accomplishments in the peace process will not be unnecessarily derailed.
“What we have at the moment is a unilateral cease-fire declared by both parties. We hope to sign a bilateral agreement in Oslo for a joint cease-fire, which is more durable and permanent. Our aim is to harmonize the operational guidelines of the government and the NDF during cease-fire to avoid misencounters or other violations of the agreement. We are also expected to come up with a mechanism for reporting of cease-fire violations,” Braganza said.
Meanwhile, in a separate statement, the NDF said it will present a list of social and economic reforms, which will be negotiated by the two parties when they go on another round of talks in Oslo on October 6 to 10.
NDF consultant Randall Echanis said the social and economic reforms to be proposed by the NDF will focus on the establishment of a genuine agrarian-reform program.
“Forging an agreement on genuine agrarian reform is of crucial importance in the next round of talks and the bilateral meetings of the committees on SER especially in light of the absence of an agrarian reform program in the GRP,” Echanis said, noting that the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program already lapsed on June 30, 2014.