Group volunteers to bridge peace talks

MANILA, Philippines – An ecumenical group has volunteered to help bridge the gap between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) to pave the way for the resumption of stalled peace talks.

Archbishop of Cagayan de Oro Antonio Ledesma said the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) would be willing to facilitate the peace talks, but not as mediator.

“(The NDF) is asking (the government) to recognize the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) and (the observance) of the Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Laws (Cahrihl) which they already have,” he said.

There is hope for the dialogue since the NDF is open to talk with the government, Ledesma said.

He is a member of the PEPP delegation that visited the NDF office in Utrecht, the Netherlands earlier this month.

The PEPP delegation was composed of co-convenors Ledesma and Sharon Rose Joy Ruiz-Duremdes, and members Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, Bishop Efren Tendero, Sister Cres Lucero and Ofelia Cantor.

Fr. Michel Beckers of the Norwegian Ecumenical Peace Platform joined the PEPP delegation.

On the NDF side, the delegation was composed of Luis Jalandoni, NDF negotiating panel chairman; and panel members Fidel Agcaoili, Julieta de Lima and Coni Ledesma.

Also present were chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison, member of the NDF monitoring committee Danilo Borjal and Ruth de Leon, head of the NDF panel secretariat.       – Evelyn Macairan