Aquino to Reds: Why are you against PPPs?

On the eve of the start of informal peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), President Benigno Aquino III said he does not see the reasoning behind the communists' objection to his administration's public-private partnership (PPP) program. In an interview with reporters on Thursday, Aquino again hailed the PPP program as a way to build more much-needed infrastructure and pave the way for more economic opportunities. A P200-billion seed fund has been allotted to Aquino's PPP initiative, which has been criticized by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) because it promises to shield investors from regulatory risks when they partner with the government in infrastructure projects. (See: P200-B seed fund allotted for Aquino's PPP initiative) "Judging by its further public avowals to ensure the profitability and freedom from regulatory risks of participants in its banner Public-Private Partnership Program, the Aquino government is set to surpass all past regimes in terms of subservience to the interests of big foreign and comprador business interests," the CPP said in a statement over the weekend. Aquino, however, maintained that the PPP program will create more opportunities for the government. He said this should be among the subjects the government and NDFP panels should sort out when they begin informal talks in Norway on Friday. "Hindi ko malaman kung saan nagmumula ‘yung objections ho nila na mapadali ‘yung travel, madagdagan ‘yung economic opportunities sa iba’t ibang lugar dahil ngayon ay accessible na," said the president. (I can't see where their objections are coming from because travel will be easier and there will be more economic opportunities in various areas that will become accessible.) "Iba ho ang pananaw namin doon. Kaya nga nandiyan ‘yung panels, mag-usap po sila. Pero palagay ko po at ‘wag naman nilang mamasamain, mas nasa lebel naman po yata ng propaganda kaysa naman may katwiran ‘yung kanilang mungkahi," he added. (We have different views on it. That's why the panels are there, so they can discuss it. But in my opinion, and I hope they don't take this negatively, their suggestion was more on the level of propaganda than backed by reason.) Among the topics the government panel headed by former activist lawyer Alexander Padilla and the NDFP panel are expected to take up in their informal talks are supposed violations of the recent holiday truce and compliance with the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG). (See: Former activist lawyer to head new peace panel) The NDFP backed out of 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 remove the CPP-NPA from the terrorist list. Aquino has vowed to pursue peace talks with the communist-led rebel organization, saying the government is still determined to push through with negotiations despite the New People’s Army’s recent armed encounters with government troops. (See: Aquino: Talks with NDF to push through despite unstable truce) The Philippine government and the NDFP are set to start informal talks from January 14 to 19, while formal negotiations are slated from February 15 to 21. Both sets of talks are to be held in Oslo, Norway, with the Norwegian government serving as third-party facilitator of the negotiations. Previous rounds of talks with the NDFP in past years have produced the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), which was signed by both parties in 1998. The next substantive agenda in the peace talks is working towards a Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER), which the NDFP says is central to addressing the country’s basic social problems and the roots of the armed conflict.—JV, GMANews.TV