Council of Leaders for Peace Initiatives (CLPI)
October 31, 2024

In a few weeks, on November 23, 2023, we will be marking the first-year anniversary of the signing of the GRP-NDFP Oslo Joint Statement. In that statement, the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) agreed to work for a principled and peaceful resolution of the armed conflict. That gave the country hope that we will be able to finally achieve a just and lasting peace of a conflict, rooted in legitimate socioeconomic and political grievances, that has gone on for decades.

The Council of Leaders for Peace Initiatives (CLPI), a multisectoral and diverse group of peace advocates from all over the country, affirm our trust in the ongoing process of discreet talks under the auspices of the Royal Norwegian Government. We also hold fast to our belief in the sincerity of the two Parties in pursuing this difficult but indispensable road to peace.
However, we would like to raise concerns about recent developments that could derail progress, or worse, result in the abandonment of the process.

We are worried, in particular, of the recent arrests of Wigberto Villarico, Porfirio Tuna, and Simeon Naogsan. All three, as announced by the NDFP, are peace consultants protected by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG). Such arrests have a chilling effect on the peace process and erodes the trust that is so necessary to move forward to fulfill the promise made with on what the Oslo statement promised.

It is clear that there are elements in the Marcos Jr administration that are working to block any progress towards a permanent peace agreement between the government and the NDFP. The hawks and hardliners espousing an all-out war approach to the armed conflict in contravention to the pronouncements of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and the President himself must be exposed and condemned. We earnestly appeal to President Marcos Jr: rein them in and reiterate your administration’s commitment to work towards such an agreement.

Once again, the CLPI calls on the Parties to move forward on the exploratory talks and agree on the framework for the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. It is most urgent for them to agree soonest on confidence and trust building measures, including temporary ceasefires, and protection protocols and mechanisms for all participants in the process. Releasing the NDFP consultants who are currently in detention, including the three recently arrested, is one such measure. #

Reference:

Atty. Antonio G. M. La Viña
Lead Convenor, CLPI
tonylavs@gmail.com
+639989984115
October 31, 2024