GRP, NDF to resume talks in February

(Updated 3:00 a.m. Dec. 4) The Philippine government and the communist-led National Democratic Front are set to restart formal peace talks in February next year in a bid to end the 41-year-old leftist insurgency, both groups announced on Friday after coming out of two-day exploratory talks in Hong Kong. The new talks will be the first after more than six years, when the NDF, an umbrella group encompassing the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and New People’s Army (NPA), walked out of talks. The two sides also agreed to observe an 18-day ceasefire for the Christmas and New Year's holidays beginning on Dec. 16, the traditional beginning of Simbang Gabi, and ending on Jan. 3, 2011, chief government negotiator Alexander Padilla and his NDF counterpart Luis Jalandoni announced in separate statements. If it pushes through, the 18-day suspension of offensive military operations will be the longest ceasefire to be mutually observed by the two parties in the last 10 years, Padilla said. “As you can all imagine, there is a lot of work to be done in the next three months," Padilla said. “The government, upon instruction of the President, shall aggressively pursue the path to peace towards a just and honorable settlement of conflicts," he added. “Knowing the dividends that peace brings to the country and its people (we) shall remain focused in this direction," he said. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Quintos Deles, who explained that the ceasefire was unilateral on both sides, said she hopes that both sides will monitor its implementation. Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief General Ricardo David said he hoped the ceasefire will “pave way for winning the peace and permanently putting an end to armed conflict." However, he warned that the truce “will not preclude our soldiers from taking appropriate action in self defense and to protect our people and communities from armed threats." Exploratory, preliminary, formal Preliminary talks between the government and the rebel movement will be held in January to pave the way for the formal resumption of peace negotiations tentatively set for late February in Oslo, Norway. In a press statement, Jalandoni said the dates have been tentatively set for January 14 to 18 for the informal meeting and from February 19 to 25 for the formal talks. Both sets of talks will be held in Oslo. The Norwegian government is brokering the talks for a political settlement of one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies. The Dec. 1-2 exploratory talks in Hong Kong "were open, friendly, freewheeling and eventually meaningful," Padilla said. During the talks, Padilla informed Jalandoni, a former Roman Catholic priest based in the Netherlands, that an agreement giving safe passage and immunity to rebel negotiators and their staff have been restored. An order that could prevent Jalandoni from leaving the Philippines was also lifted, he said. Jalandoni urged the government to show additional goodwill and build confidence for the talks by releasing 43 health workers arrested early this year on suspicion they were NPA members and by withdrawing charges against rebel negotiators and consultants. The Hong Kong discussions were "getting to know you" meetings, said presidential peace adviser Deles. "It's the very first step to lay a good foundation for the talks." Breakdown over terrorist tag Peace talks between the government and the leftist insurgent movement bogged down after the United States included the NPA and the CPP as foreign terrorist organizations in 2002. The NDF broke off peace negotiations in 2004 to protest the refusal of the Philippine government under then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to lobby the US and the European Union (EU) to take the two leftist groups off the list of international terrorist organizations. There have been several attempts to restart formal talks since 2004, with the latest effort early in the year by the Arroyo administration. Hopes were raised when the country's new and popular president, Benigno Aquino III, took office on June 30. Aquino — son of “icons of Philippine democracy" Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino Jr. — reconstituted the government peace panels in the talks with rebel groups. Aquino has declared that he backs the Hong Kong discussions and that government negotiators have his "entire support behind them." Even his choice of panel was widely praised as favorable to attaining peace. In October, Aquino appointed Padilla — a former activist and human rights lawyer — as head of the government peace panel. (See: Former activist lawyer to head new peace panel) Rights advocates Pablito Sanidad Sr., Maria Lourdes Tison, Ednar Gempasaw Dayanghirang and Jurgette Honculada were also named members of the panel. Peace adviser Deles had praised the group as having a "geographical, gender and age balance" in terms of representation and said that the creation of the new panel manifests the Aquino government’s commitment to pursue and achieve a peaceful and just settlement of the 41-year-old insurgency. Safe conduct As part of the government’s confidence-building measures, Padilla reminded Jalandoni that the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) remains effective. This would allow the NDF official to visit the Philippines when he wants. The JASIG was one of the first formally-signed agreements that came out of the previous peace talks in the 1990s. A copy of an order from the Department of Justice lifting the "Hold Departure Order" against Jalandoni was also presented to him along with a verbal assurance for his safety, according to Padilla. “He may now enter the country in whatever capacity whenever he so desires," Padilla said.—With AP report/DM/JV, GMANews.TV