#LETSTALKPEACE – ALTERMIDYA.NET
APRIL 8, 2017

THE FORMAL peace negotiations between the Philippine government (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) concluded an “exacting yet successful” fourth round of talks in Noordwijk, the Netherlands.

One of the gains made from the round was agreeing to an interim joint ceasefire, which both panels hope will give way to a more stable ceasefire agreement and a better environment for the early signing of the important agreement on socio-economic reforms. The parties have set the next round of talks in May, a month earlier than planned.

That the peace negotiations have reached this far and sustained its momentum despite a number of drawbacks attests to the commitment of the two parties to talk peace. Since the Duterte government revived the long-suspended peace talks last year, the negotiating panels had to contend with many challenges which, according to the NDFP, were the handiwork of what it calls “peace saboteurs” in the Duterte administration.

Despite these, the ongoing talks yielded unprecedented results and advanced at a pace both negotiating panels had not expected. It should be underscored, however, that the breakthroughs in the ongoing peace talks became possible because both panels reaffirmed their commitment to respect the basic framework of the peace talks (The Hague Declaration) and other previously signed agreements.

There are other reasons why the current peace negotiations can be considered unprecedented. Here are five of them:

1.  AGREEING, IN PRINCIPLE, TO DISTRIBUTE LAND FOR FREE

The issue of the ceasefire was among the prominent topics discussed during the third and fourth round of talks. But what seemed overshadowed were the important advancements made in the negotiations on socio-economic reforms (SER).

Most crucial in the SER negotiations was that both parties agreed on the principle of free land distribution. For the NDFP, distributing land for free to tillers, farmers, and agricultural workers is the heart of an effective agrarian reform program. The NDFP believes that genuine agrarian reform will address the issue of land monopoly and dismantle the huge concentration of land from the hands of a few landlords.

NDFP peace consultant Wilma Tiamzon had this to say about the outcome of the SER discussions: “The agreement on free land distribution was not reached under any of the past administrations. The NDFP was steadfast in pushing for this through its reciprocal working committee. It is clear that the issue of free land distribution is to make fundamental changes in the situation of the peasantry that have been suffering from the slow pace of the bogus land reform program for a long time.”

The most important task now, according to Tiamzon, is for the peasants to organize themselves and build their own strength to advance these initial unities on free land distribution – a fundamental issue that farmers have long been struggling for.

2. FAST-TRACKING THE DRAFT AND FINDING A LOT OF COMMON GROUND IN THE CASER

Reconciling two different drafts for the comprehensive agreement on socio-economic reforms (CASER) was reportedly tough work for both parties during the fourth round. But according to Randall Echanis of the NDFP reciprocal working committee on CASER, there is already a lot of common ground between the GRP and NDFP drafts in terms of their basic scope and applicability. “Hindi malalaki ang pagkakaiba, in general,” Echanis explained. “Pwede sabihing nagkaroon ng commonalities.”

The discussions on CASER, considered by both parties as the “meat” of the peace negotiations, are aimed at finding solutions to the country’s economic backwardness, poverty, and underdevelopment. By solving these, it addresses the underlying problems of the armed conflict.

The CASER agenda acknowledges that the current neoliberal model has failed to uplift the lives of Filipinos, and proposes similar steps that wealthy countries did that paved the way for their progress – such as implementing agrarian reform, building local industries, protecting farmers and workers, and nationalizing strategic industries.

While there are already some consensus, Echanis said that there are many provisions that still demand greater discussion and resolution in the course of the negotiations. CASER discussions continue to be the main agenda in the next round of talks and bilateral meetings in between.

The discussions are expected to be challenging as the two parties tackle other important parts of land reform and industrialization. Both the GRP and the NFDP hope to sign the CASER within the year.

3. AGREEING TO MAKE THE JOINT MONITORING COMMITTEE, A MECHANISM TO CHECK ON THE HUMAN RIGHTS VIOLATIONS OF BOTH PARTIES, FULLY OPERATIONAL

During the third round of the peace talks early this year, the two peace panels agreed to launch the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) into full operation.

What is the JMC? The joint monitoring committee is a mechanism launched in 2004 to make sure that both the GRP and the NDFP are abiding by their duty to respect human rights and follow the rules of war in the conduct of the armed conflict. These obligations are embodied in the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), which both parties signed in 1998.

Although the JMC through its Joint Secretariat, has received thousands of reports of human rights violations against both the GRP and the NDFP, it never conducted joint activities like investigating complaints of human rights violations that both parties received. This time, it can now look into the complaints filed by each side and make recommendations in compliance with the CARHRIHL.

What is positive about a fully-operational JMC, according to the NDFP, is that both parties can proceed with other matters in the substantive agenda without being bogged down by accusations of human rights violations. This can contribute in speeding up the peace negotiations, the NDFP said.

4. AGREEING TO RESTORE THE JASIG HOLDERS LIST

During the back channel talks last March, the GRP and NDFP agreed to deposit and safe-keep a reconstituted list and photos of peace negotiators who are protected under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG).

The JASIG, which was signed in 1995, gives safety and immunity guarantees to peace consultants, staff, security and other personnel who participate in the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. Those on the JASIG list are assured of protection from surveillance, harassment, arrest, detention, and prosecution.

The original list could no longer be opened when digital files containing pass keys were corrupted. This happened after Dutch police raided the NDFP office in Utrecht in 2007 and confiscated their files and computers.

The previous Aquino administration refused to reconstitute the JASIG list during its term. Under Duterte – after the brief impasse on the peace negotiations in February – the GRP “restored” the JASIG and scheduled the deposit and safekeeping of the reconstituted list of holders of NDFP Documents of Identification. This commitment appeared in the joint resolution signed during the back channel talks in March.

5. ADVANCING THE DRAFT ON POLITICAL & CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

Following the peace talks framework, the peace panels will start working on the political and constitutional reforms (PCR) after the agreement on the SER is signed. But during the third round of talks in January, the GRP and NDFP had already exchanged full drafts and made initial discussions on the tentative agreement on the PCR. By the fourth round, the committees started their work on reconciling the two parties’ draft.

According to the NDFP, its primary interest in the PCR agreement is to uphold national sovereignty. At the same time, it expressed openness in supporting the shift to a federal system of government, a vision of Pres. Duterte. The NDFP also agreed on making amendments to the Constitution provided that the amendments will include safeguards against foreign monopoly capitalism, warlordism, dynasties, and corruption.

As early as the first round of talks, both panels already agreed to fast-tracking the peace negotiations. This means that while the agenda on the SER is being discussed, the peace panels can already work on the next two substantive agenda (political and constitutional reforms; and end of hostilities and redisposition of armed forces). This way, key agreements will be signed earlier so there is enough time to implement these before coming out with a final peace agreement.

THE MILESTONES reached from the previous rounds of talks were not without innumerable difficulties. Peace advocates have warned about the “peace saboteurs” and militarist elements in government that could undermine the gains made in the talks. But both the GRP and NDFP peace panels avow their commitment to resolving difficulties and moving the peace negotiations forward.

Third party facilitator Elisabeth Slattum seemed to aptly describe the positive disposition of the peace panels against the odds: “The parties worked through a tough crisis, showed perseverance, courage and genuine commitment to achieve peace for the benefit of the Filipino people.”

x x x

NDFP International Information Office
6 April 2017/in News, Statements /
April 6 2017, Noorwijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands

(Click the link below to view the full document)
20170406 4th-Round-Joint-Statement

NDFP International Information Office
6 April 2017/in News, Statements /
April 6 2017, Noorwijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands

20170406 4th-Round-Joint-Statement

<EMBED src="/2017/04/20170406-4th-round-joint-statement.pdf" " width="90%" height="1031"

[pdf-embedder url=”https://philpeacecenter.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/20170406-4th-round-joint-statement.pdf”]

Kodao Productions
April 3, 2017

The Left”s chief negotiator did not mince words in his remarks at the opening ceremony of the fourth round of formal NDFP-GRP peace talks.

Fidel Agcaoili said he reiterates the wisdom of securing the approval of the CASER (Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms) ahead of any bilateral ceasefire agreement, unless both agreements can be signed simultaneously.

“Ceasefires, whether unilateral or bilateral, are just a means to an end. Its main purpose is to create conditions conducive to reaching agreements on basic re- forms that are satisfactory to both sides,” Agcaoili said. (Featured photo by Nwel Saturay / Nwel Saturay on Flicker )

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0Zi_tmPnyY]

Kodao Productions
April 3, 2017

NOORDWIJK, The Netherlands—The opening ceremony of the fourth round of formal talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) pushed through this morning, both parties making yet another unprecedented move towards achieving more substantial agreements despite tensed negotiations the previous day.

With nearly all the negotiators, consultants, advisers and resource persons of both parties wearing traditional barong Tagalog and ternos, the ceremony regained some of the light-heartedness of the previous three rounds seemingly lost in the frantic informal discussions marking the first day of negotiations.

Delayed by only a few minutes, the ceremony went as planned and was marked with congratulatory remarks at NDFP Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria Sison’s recovery from a month-long hospitalization.

Deviating from his prepared speech, Sison thanked the Royal Norwegian Government for agreeing to facilitate the talks in The Netherlands to allow his participation in this round of talks.

Norwegian Special Envoy to the Philippine Peace Process Elisabeth Slattum congratulated the GRP and NDFP panels for showing “flexibility” and “creativity” to move the talks forward, as well as on “seek(ing) solutions when others would just give up.”

“I would like to congratulate the parties and the President of the Philippines for working through a tough crisis and for showing courage, perseverance and genuine commitment for the achievement of peace for the benefit of the Filipino people,” Slattum said.

“This is the farthest point that we have already achieved in our negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front. We are on our fourth round of talks,” President Peace Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said.

“I am seeing and noticing that we that we are no longer in the concept of negotiating but already sharing common values and common aspirations for a better Philippines,” he said.

“The NDFP Negotiating Panel comes to this fourth round of formal talks determined as ever to push and accelerate the negotiations in the hopes of forging a comprehensive agreement on social and economic reforms by the end of 2017,” Fidel Agcaoili, the Left’s chief negotiator, for his part, said.

Just a means to an end

Agcaoili, however, reiterated in his opening statement the NDFP’s stand on the bilateral ceasefire proposal after GRP President Rodrigo Duterte insisted on a signed agreement in this round of talks.

“I share Professor Sison’s positive views and reiterate the wisdom of securing the approval of the CASER (Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms) ahead of any bilateral ceasefire agreement, unless both agreements can be signed simultaneously. It is important to stress this as the issue of ceasefire should not be pursued as an end in itself,” Agcaoili said.

“Ceasefires, whether unilateral or bilateral, are just a means to an end. Its main purpose is to create conditions conducive to reaching agreements on basic re- forms that are satisfactory to both sides,” Agcaoili added.

The opening ceremony was postponed by a day after the GRP informed the NDFP of Duterte’s new “basest conditionalities” that include a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement.

In response, Agcaoili mentioned a memorandum of understanding that may break the impasse on the issue of the bilateral ceasefire agreement.

“The NDFP believes it is possible to have a bilateral ceasefire agreement that conforms to the position that simultaneous and reciprocal declarations of unilateral ceasefire can be agreed upon and bound by a Memorandum of Understanding that shall be issued at the end of the fourth round of formal talks,” Agcaoili said in his speech.

Both parties said the remaining four days of the round would be spent on the continuation of the discussions on the proposed bilateral ceasefire agreement, the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in respect to the release of all political prisoners, and the implementation of socio-economic projects for the Filipino people. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Kodao Productions
April 1, 2017

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands—The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) announced it will not reinstate its unilateral ceasefire declaration with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) as both parties agreed in their March 11 joint statement.

In a televised press briefing in Malacañan Palace in Manila yesterday before his flight to this country, GRP Negotiating Panel chairperson Silvestre Bello III announced there is “no reason” for them to declare a unilateral ceasefire in time for their fourth round of formal peace talks.

“There is no reason to declare a unilateral ceasefire because our President (Rodrigo Duterte) is more interested in obtaining a bilateral ceasefire agreement,” Bello said.

GRP’s decision, however, reneges on the GRP-NDFP Utrecht Joint Statement “to reinstate their respective unilateral ceasefires which shall take effect before the scheduled fourth round of talks in April 2017 as soon as their respective forces shall have been informed.”

“I think we should concentrate on this more important (bilateral ceasefire) agreement, because this is where we will be assured of the lowering or ending of hostilities,” he added.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) earlier promised it will reinstate its unilateral ceasefire declaration in time for the next round of talks in Noordwijk.

But Bello said he no longer expects the CPP to declare a unilateral ceasefire following his announcement.

“If they feel we are not prepared to declare one, I don’t think they will proceed with their declaration of a unilateral ceasefire,” Bello said.

Flexible and open

The NDFP, for its part, expressed surprise at GRP’s decision, calling Bello’s announcement “an unexpected departure from the March 11 backchannel agreement.”

“The NDF and the GRP agreed to this measure in the interim in order to move the talks forward and improve the atmosphere for negotiations after the impasse last February,” an NDFP statement issued after Bello’s press briefing said.

Nonetheless, the NDFP negotiating panel said it is willing to be flexible and is open to discussing with its counterpart what kind of bilateral ceasefire agreement is desired by the GRP in place of the unilateral ceasefire.

“The NDFP is one with the GRP in desiring to resolve the serious concerns that have been raised in relation to the previous six-month unilateral ceasefires, mindful that addressing these issues is crucial to ensuring that any ceasefire agreement in the future would be more effective,” its statement said.

Ready for the talks

Meanwhile, peace negotiators from both parties have started to arrive in this country in time for the scheduled opening of the fourth round of talks in the seaside city of Noordwijk on April 2.

Rearrested NDFP peace consultant Ariel Arbitrario has been released from the Compostela Provincial Jail and is already in this city for the negotiations.

Arbitrario’s release came shortly after the New People’s Army released two paramilitary troopers in Davao Oriental as a goodwill measure for the coming talks.

Both parties said they will continue their “very difficult” negotiations for a comprehensive agreement on socio-economic reforms and a joint ceasefire document.

The venue of the fourth round of talks will be held in Noordwijk to allow NDFP chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison’s participation.

Sison is steadily regaining his health after weeks of hospitalization due to pulmonary problems.

The Royal Norwegian Government is third party facilitator to the GRP-NDFP peace process. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

MART D. SAMBALUD – DAVAO TODAY
Mar. 27, 2017

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—As the fourth round of peace talks draws near between government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, a militant lawmaker urged farmers on Monday to rally behind the working draft on Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms.

Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao said CASER, which was drafted by the NDFP, is pushing for the welfare of the country’s poor farmers.

“We urge traditional farmers’ organization, irrigators associations, municipal, city andprovincial farmers associations and rural-based groups to support the NDFP’s CASER as it sincerely pushes for the welfare of poor peasants in the country, as well as, genuine development in the countryside,” Casilao said.

NDFP’s CASER has been viewed as the “heart and soul” of the GRP-NDFP peace talks because it contains contentious issues such as the implementation of the genuine agrarian reform,among others.

The working draft was premised on the country’s state which is “semifeudal and semicolonial” and ‘thus needs genuine agrarian reform, national industrialization and a freeand independent foreign trade and monetary policy for national development.”

According to Casilao, CASER pushes for “free distribution of land” to farmers as stated on Section 7, of Part I, Declaration of Principles.

Specifically, it stated that “the Parties realize the need for immediate common and separate/unilateral measures to undertake agrarian reform in order to dismantle land monopoly and to distribute land to the tillers for free.”

Apart from the free distribution of land, CASER also promotes rural industrialization as stated in Article X, of Agrarian Reform and Rural Development under Part III, Developing the National Economy.

Under Section 1, it states “the provision of more farm technicians, agricultural credit to thetillers, post-harvest facilities, marketing agencies, irrigation systems, and farm-to-market roads shall be an integral part of the agrarian reform program.”

With this, Casilao urged officials of local government units in the provinces to support the draft agreement as he also emphasized that the socio-economic reforms agenda is an opening for fundamental reforms in the country and to address the root causes of the armed conflict involving the New People’s Army.

“Majority of the NPA are farmers who were victimized by displacement, feudal and semi-feudal forms of exploitation, driven to bear arms to fight oppression and exploitation,”Casilao said.

“The peace talks remain to serve as an opportunity towards a just and lasting peace in the country, an NDFP-version [of the] agreement on socio-economic reforms will certainly benefit the rural population that is more than half of the country’s, along with, we call for a stop to continued killing of farmers and militarization of communities in the countryside,” Casilao added.(davaotoday.com)

DAVAO TODAY
Mar. 25, 2017

 DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The Communist Party of the Philippines is expected to issue a unilateral declaration of interim ceasefire not later than March 31 in support of the fourth round of peace talks between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) set on April 2-6 in The Netherlands.

In a statement, the CPP announced it will issue a unilateral ceasefire before the fourth round of talks and said it looks forward to a similar unilateral ceasefire declaration by the GRP as mutually agreed upon in the March 10-11 backchannel talks in Utrecht, in the Netherlands.

It also urged the government to “slow down its ongoing all-out offensive military operations” to create a favorable atmosphere for the mutual ceasefire.

The CPP added that it is anticipating the release of 19 elderly and sick political prisoners and five detained NDFP consultants as agreed by both Parties in Utrecht.

The CPP said the determination of the government and the NDFP to continue the talks and accelerate the negotiations on the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER) and the Comprehensive Agreement on Political and Constitutional Reforms (CAPCR) can result to a completion of the agreements “within the year through earnest negotiations.”

“There is pressing need to complete these agreements especially in the face of mounting mass actions by workers, peasants and other oppressed sectors calling for genuine land reform, higher wages, job security, decent housing and increased social spending,” the CPP said.

“Through peace negotiations, the Duterte government and the NDFP can unite on addressing the pressing socio-economic problems confronting the Filipino people amid the worsening crisis of the semicolonial and semifeudal system and the global capitalist system,” it added.

Difficult negotiations

The CPP admitted that while they support the forging of a bilateral ceasefire, they are anticipating “difficult negotiations.”

According to the Joint Statement signed on March 11 in Utrecht, the Parties agree to forge an interim bilateral ceasefire agreement which shall take effect after the terms of reference and other considerations shall have been settled.

“In forging the interim bilateral ceasefire agreement, the Parties shall take due consideration of the issues and concerns raised by each Party in relation to the previous 6-month (August 2016 to February 2017) unilateral ceasefire of the other Party. In the meantime, the Parties agree to reinstate their respective unilateral ceasefires which shall take effect before the scheduled fourth round of talks in April 2017 as soon as their respective forces shall have been informed,”it added.

Prior to President Rodrigo Duterte’s cancellation of the talks on February 4, following the announcement that the CPP and NPA will lift its unilateral ceasefire agreement, a meeting between the GRP and NDFP was already scheduled on February 22-25, specifically to discuss a bilateral ceasefire agreement. The meeting was agreed upon by the parties after the successful third round of talks in Rome, Italy last January.

The government peace panel believes that a bilateral ceasefire agreement “would set the ground rules on cessation of hostilities that could minimize, if not eliminate, the armed violence that affects communities.”

However, the CPP and NPA cited among the reasons for lifting their unilateral ceasefire the unfulfilled obligations of releasing political prisoners and encroachment of government troops in territories claimed by the Communists.

Release of prisoners of war

Meanwhile, the CPP said at least four other prisoners of war are set to be released by the NPAs in Surigao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat and Bukidnon province.

“Their releases are being impeded by ongoing military and police operations in the area. The CPP urges the local commands of the AFP and PNP to stand down and coordinate with third-party facilitators to pave the way for the releases,” it said.

Two members of the Cafgu Active Auxiliary were released Friday by the NPAs in Mati City. Rene Doller and Carl Mark Nucos were captured by the NPA last February 14 in Lupon, Davao Oriental. (davaotoday.com)

ANC News Channel
March 22, 2017

Rey Claro Casambre, the Executive Director of the Philippine Peace Center is interviewed on ANC by Christian Esguerra on the 4th round of formal peace talks set on April 2 to 6, 2017 in The Netherlands.

See the full video coverage of the interview below:

Kilab Multimedia
February 7, 2017

As heads of national government agencies tasked to address poverty and improve the quality of life of the Filipino, we believe that the GRP should move the peace negotiations with the NDFP forward. The current agenda on the table, the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER), is the most substantive agenda in the negotiations and is key to lasting peace and long-term poverty eradication. We are one with the peace advocates, legislators, and individuals who urge both parties to resume the talks. We will continue to engage within the Cabinet and the rest of the administration towards the resumption of the talks and to strengthen the civilian voice in the peace process.

After 15 years of impasse, the peace negotiations have made historic strides on many fronts. This time, by pursuing peace, and through the political will of President Duterte, the talks have been productive. The Government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines have never been closer in their articulation of a shared vision of a society that addresses the root causes of war – poverty and inequality.

In the 3rd round of talks in Rome, both parties surpassed earlier expectations and were able to exchange initial views on their respective drafts of the CASER. They have reached a common understanding of the problems the agrarian unrest in the country and have agreed in principle to the free distribution of land to farmers and farm workers. Both parties also reached a decision to accelerate the negotiation process through simultaneous discussions of technical working committees of the remaining substantive agenda, as the discussion on the CASER commences.

The Reciprocal Working Groups on Political and Constitutional Reforms (RWGs-PCR) were able to exchange views on the proposal to form a federal form of government and the need for safeguards and constitutional guarantees as demanded by the people.

Both parties were looking forward to meeting again in the fourth round of talks to flesh out these agreements and move to address the issues of land reform and rural development, national industrialization and economic growth, access to social services, patrimony and sovereignty.

While the government carries on with negotiating the agreements, the agencies under the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster are working on the direct, immediate and substantial benefits that are advantageous to the poor and the marginalized sectors of the society.

Recognizing the urgent need for genuine change, the President has made a commitment to lift nine million Filipinos out of poverty by the end of his term. The statement adds weight to the Government’s work in implementing a genuine agrarian reform, building its industries, and promoting social welfare and development as an integral part of poverty alleviation.

The foremost concern of both parties in the peace negotiations is the interest of the Filipino people to address the roots of poverty and achieve a just and lasting peace. It is unfortunate that the talks have now come to a standstill. Let each side come to terms with the compelling reasons why we have come to the negotiating table in the first place. For it is the welfare of the poor Filipinos, in their millions, that is at the core of the peace negotiations. Let us give just and lasting peace a chance. Continue the GRP-NDF peace talks and pursue socio-economic and political reforms for the people.

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