A peace-advocacy group has asked President Duterte to change his mind about ending the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF).
In a statement, the Kapayapaan Campaign for a Just Peace (Kapayapaan) said a termination or even suspension of the talks would reverse the “positive and substantial gains achieved by three rounds of talks between the government and the revolutionary movement”.
Kapayapaan was formed in early-2015 as a campaign network pushing for the resumption of the peace talks under then- President Benigno S. Aquino III.
Among its original members were then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte and Party-list Rep. Silvestre H. Bello III of 1-BAP, now chairman of the government’s peace panel.
“The way we see it, the talks are progressing at an unprecedented rate. It would be tragic for the President to stop the talks at this point. It is unfortunate that both sides have lifted their unilateral cease-fire declarations, but the talks can and should continue,” said Fr. Ben Alforque, Kapayapaan convener.
He said that in the third round of talks last month, the government and NDF panels signed a supplemental agreement on human rights and international humanitarian law, while their reciprocal working committees agreed on several provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms.
On top of that, drafts were exchanged on the agreement on political and constitutional reforms, while talks for a bilateral cease-fire are scheduled later this month.
“President Duterte does not have to look far to find a compelling reason to continue the talks. Peace is the only and most compelling reason for the talks. We ask the President to stay, the course. Please listen to the cry of the poor and the nation. It is in their behalf that peace negotiations should continue,” added Alforque, his former colleague at Kapayapaan.
‘Left’ groups to Duterte: Please reconsider
PARTY-LIST Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate of Bayan Muna has urged Duterte to reconsider his decision to terminate the peace negotiations with the NDF.
Zarate, vice chairman of the House Committee on Peace, Reconciliation and Unity, described as “very unfortunate” Duterte’s ending the peace negotiations between the GRP and the NDF.
“We hope that the President will reconsider his decision because in less than a year, the peace talks have significantly progressed. In the same breath, the peace process should continue even without a cease-fire in place,” Zarate argued.
Zarate is an observer of the peace negotiations and was on hand to see how the latest edition of the talks progressed in Rome.
The Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (NPA) announced the termination of their unilateral cease-fire on February 3, saying the truce will end at 11:59 p.m. of February 10.
They justified their decision by saying the Duterte administration had not reined in its troops, leading to clashes with the NPA, and at least 20 farmers and lumad leaders were killed during the cease-fire, practically all of them shot dead by suspected soldiers or paramilitary men employed by the Duterte administration.
Moreover, the promised freedom of nearly 400 detained activists did not materialize, and Duterte insisted he never promised to free anyone, considering them as “aces” in the negotiations, a position consistent with the tack of the military.
“Considering the advances already made in so short a period these past months on the substantive agenda of the talks, these troubling developments do not augur well in solving the root causes of the armed conflict in our country. It will only embolden the militarists in and out of the government to continue a system that impoverished our country and people, as well as spawned widespread violations of human rights,” Zarate warned.
Continuing the peace negotiations is in the best interest of farmers who are pressing for genuine land reform, land distribution and real change under the Duterte administration.
This was declared by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), after Duterte ordered the termination of the peace talks.
“Farmers want the peace negotiations to continue. We want the peace talks to help address the problem of land monopoly, landlessness of farmers, unemployment and to realize the equitable distribution of social wealth,” KMP Chairman Joseph Canlas said.