House backs resumption of peace talks

MANILA, Philippines — The House of Representatives has expressed support for the plan of the government to resume peace talks with the communist National Democratic Front (NDF).

In Resolution 636 filed on Thursday, the last day of session for the year, 131 members of the House from different political parties pushed for immediate resumption of the peace negotiations.

“As representatives of the people, members of the House of Representatives are duty bound to express the sentiments and interests of our constituents for the immediate resumption of the stalled peace talks and to forge substantive agreements that will resolve the root causes of the half-century-long armed conflict,” read the resolution.

Deputy Speakers Boyet Gonzales, Luis Raymund Villafuerte, Evie Escudero, Johnny Pimentel, Minority Leader Benny Abante and Deputy Minority Leaders Kit Belmonte and Carlos Zarate signed the resolution.

“The resolution is a strong message of support from the members of the House in pursuing the peace process as a way of ending the root causes of the more than five-decade armed rebellion,” stressed Zarate, representative of Bayan Muna party-list.

Zarate, however, warned attempts by “saboteurs” to derail this fresh push to revive the talks. 

“These peace saboteurs are again hard at work to sabotage the proposed resumption of the peace negotiations between the government and the NDF. Now the saboteurs are at it again setting preconditions to the talks and issuing absurd militarist statements to scuttle the negotiations even before it starts. It is good that more and more people like our fellow solons are seeing the need for genuine peace as paramount and they are not swayed by the lies of these militarists, in and out of government,” he said in a statement yesterday.

The lawmaker urged President Duterte “not to listen to these peace spoilers, reject their hawkish overtures and immediately resume the peace talks.”  

According to presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo, the President remains open to peace talks after he had given Secretary Silvestre Bello III the go signal to iron out differences with Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding leader Jose Maria Sison to reboot the peace negotiations.

Nonetheless, Duterte remained steadfast in his position that the New People’s Army (NPA), armed wing of the CPP, should also show sincerity by not launching attacks in the countryside. 

“Not necessarily because the President, as we always hear him, always leaves a space, the window ajar for any peace negotiation with them. But he will not allow the attacks, the assaults against our forces, that is why if they attempt to do that, the order is to crush them,” Panelo said. 

Panelo also urged Sison to be more sincere regarding the venue and other details for the proposed resumption of talks.  

“According to Joma Sison, if it’s here, he doesn’t want it. But as far as we are concerned, if you are sincere, venue is not important,” he said.

While the President has ordered the military not to be complacent in dealing with the rebels, Panelo said it does not mean that he has closed the doors on striking peace and ending 50 years of insurgency. 

The NPA marks its 50th anniversary on Dec. 26. Without a ceasefire between the government and NPA, all Philippine forces are expected to be on alert for attacks during the holiday season.

Security officials have revealed that Duterte is on top of the hit list of the NPA and other groups that prompted the Presidential Security Group to intensify their security protocols for the President. 

Last week, Duterte told the military during their anniversary at Camp Aguinaldo to go after the enemies of the state to end the problem of the Filipinos. He lumped together the terrorists, NPA rebels as well as kidnap-for-ransom groups operating in Jolo, the Abu Sayyaf and other criminal syndicates.

Duterte assured the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that he would take full responsibility for his orders to go after enemies of the state. “I assure you of my unqualified support, especially as we continue to fight to defeat terrorism, and violent extremism, and insurgency,” he said.

Army justifies no holiday truce

The Philippine Army yesterday justified the non-observance of a yuletide ceasefire in Western and Central Visayas, saying this was to protect the people from violent activities of the NPA in line with the CPP’s founding anniversary.

The NPA in Negros, however, may observe the yuletide truce if ordered by the CPP central committee, regional rebel spokesman Juanito Magbanua said in a statement.

However, Magbanua said hawks in the Cabinet of President Duterte are working against the resumption of peace talks and are sabotaging goodwill measures such as the ceasefire for the holidays and release of sickly and elderly political prisoners on humanitarian grounds, including Frank Fernandez and Cleofe Lagtapon.

Capt. Cenon Pancito III, spokesman for the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (ID), dismissed rebel claims that government forces are sabotaging the ceasefire.

Pancito said the CPP-NPA rebels in Negros are quick to point their finger at government forces to conceal the truth that they are the ones sabotaging the ceasefire every year.

“The very reason that the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division is supporting the idea of not declaring a holiday truce with this communist-terrorist group to ensure the safety and welfare of the people against the anti-people, anti-peace and anti-development terrorists,” he said.

Pancito added that launching attacks not only against government forces but also innocent civilians is part of the NPA tradition during the ceasefire.

On the other hand, Magbanua said the announcement of the 3rd ID of more troops to be deployed on Negros island is a manifestation of a recruitment crisis, and not strength, as he claimed that NPA tactical offensives have effectively resulted in AFP casualties.

Magbanua also questioned threats of the Philippine Army to local government officials who do not declare the NPA as unwelcome.

‘NPA bomber’ killed

Personnel of the Army’s 58th Infantry Battalion, meanwhile, shot dead an NPA bomber in a brief gunfight Thursday in Mt. Balatukan in Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental.

Efriel Taquin died on the spot from multiple gunshot wounds.

In a statement, Lt. Col. Roy Anthony Derilo of the 58th IB said the encounter erupted when Taquin and his companions opened fire on soldiers patrolling in a secluded area on  Mt. Balatukan to check on the reported presence of NPAs with improvised explosive devices.  

Soldiers found a .45-caliber pistol, an IED and bomb components beside the cadaver of Taquin that his companions left as they fled. – With Christina Mendez, Gilbert Bayoran, John Unson