Ceasefire not a precondition to peace talks

THE government will not demand a ceasefire from the communist rebels as a condition for resuming its peace talks with them to end one of Asia’s longest and bloodiest Marxist insurgencies, newly appointed government chief negotiator Alexander Padilla said Thursday.

But the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military arm, the New People’s Army, may not expect any help from the government on their demand to be removed from the lists of terrorist organizations of the United States and the European Union.

“That [terrorist listing] is a sovereign move by the EU and the US,” presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles said.

“That is something that is beyond our control. There is nothing we can do about it.”

The peace talks brokered by Norway were suspended in 2004 after the rebels accused Manila of instigating their inclusion in the US and EU lists. The rebels also are demanding the release of several left-wing activists and guerrillas.

Padilla, a Health Department undersecretary, said he favored freeing from custody some detainees, including 43 people that the military captured outside Manila on suspicion of membership in the New People’s Army.

The detainees, who have been charged with illegal possession of weapons and explosives, have denied the allegations. President Benigno Aquino III has sought a review of their criminal cases to determine whether they can be freed.

Padilla said the talks with the communists in Utrecht could resume before the end of the year.

“The government is coming into the renewed talks without any precondition, and I think that it also the expectation from the NDF,” he said.

“Of course, it would have been better that we have reduced hostilities or violence.”

Deles said the government was open to a formula other than a ceasefire agreement as long as it would “bring down the level of violence while the talks are ongoing.”

“The President has expressed that this [violence] is really a serious concern,” she said.

“It is a fact that it is more difficult to talk while we are shooting at each other. This is a serious concern that we will put on the table.”

President Aquino had already ordered the newly-reconstituted government negotiating panel to “pursue time-bound and agenda-bound peace negotiations anchored on the pri nciples of peace, justice and human rights,” Deles said.

She said Padilla, whose appointment was well-received by CPP founder and NDF chief consultant Jose Maria Sison, and the other panel members would try to end the hostilities, disarm communist rebels, and forge a final political settlement within the next six years.

“Alex is known to understand the root causes of the armed conflict and the need for reasonable negotiations to arrive at mutually satisfactory agreements,” Sison said.

“He is known as a fair and reasonable person to talk to.”

Joyce Pangco Panares, Manial Standard Today