Church hopes NDF talks will resume

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed hope yesterday that peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) would resume after communist rebels freed an Air Force chaplain the other day.

The chaplain, Capt. Melchor Fernando, was abducted by guerrillas while visiting his brother's farm in Paluan, Mindoro Occidental last Jan. 5.

"We are hoping that his release would pave the way for the resumption of peace talks," said Msgr. Hernando Coronel, CBCP spokesman.

The NDF backed out of the talks last year after the Senate ratified the Philippine-US Visiting Forces Agreement.

A member of an independent panel seeking the release of two other communist hostages asked President Estrada to restart the negotiations.

"We believe the negotiating table is the right and proper venue to talk and pursue peace based on justice," said Bishop Tomas Millamena of Iglesia Filipina Independiente.

The panel talked with NDF leaders based in the Netherlands to secure the release of Army Maj. Noel Buan and Chief Inspector Abelardo Martin. The NDF vowed to free them soon.

Fernando, meanwhile, expressed disbelief that his captors were minors aged 14 to 17. He said he was blindfolded and handcuffed during his 13 days in captivity, except when the rebels talked with him and forced him to read magazines and books on communism.