Formal talks or no talks - CPP
December 27, 2002

"If Macapagal-Arroyo really wants to talk peace with the NDFP, it should first and foremost immediately put an end to the relentlessness and vicousness of her all-out war in the name of terrorism, respect and implement past agreements, stop downgrading the negotiations to back-channel talks and resume formal panel-to-panel negotiations."

This was the assertion made by Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal, spokesman of the Communist Party of the Philippines, who also wants the Arroyo government to "stop all this nonsense about the CPP-NPA-NDF's being "terrorist".

Rosal said that "urgently needed is the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law," adding that "this agreement will help protect the people's human rights from abuses especially in the face of the AFP's ongoing brutal all-out war of terror that is only victimizing civilians".

"On the part of the revolutionary forces, NPA guerrilla fighers have been directed to assiduously study and carry-out the provisions of the CARHRIHL. The rules of the NPA are consistent with the CARHRIHL and international humanitarian law and rules of war," Rosal asserted.

Rosal stated that it is "the militarists that have been vigorously resisting the implementation of the CARHRIHL as this would compel them to follow internationally-acceded humanitarian protocols and rules on engagement.

When talks were resumed by Macapagal-Arroyo in 2001, she gave her recognition to all agreements previously signed by the past presidents since President Fidel Ramos. "But Macapagal-Arroyo never took them seriously and in fact disregarded it herself. As it is, Macapagal-Arroyo's all-out war of terror has already become a war without rules," Rosal complained.

At the same time, Rosal rebuked Malacanang spokesman Rigoberto Tiglao for dishonesty in "diverting the issues, distorting our statements and making it appear we are naive and foolish enough to demand the removal of the US' Foreign Terrorist Organization tag on the CPP-NPA-NDF as precondition for the resumption of talks."

"It is not at all the US-made label. It is clear in what I said, that it is Macapagal-Arroyo who should drop the terrorist-witch hunting against the CPP-NPA-NDF," Rosal said. "Actually, we are not that interested in just Macapagal-Arroyo's pirate edition of the label--if we are talking about just the label," Rosal added.

"It is actually her own bloodied hand we are at arms against and her cringing connivance with Bush to rabidly campaign for international witch-hunting, launch all-out war against genuine revolutionary forces and usher in US aggression in the Philippines-all in the name of anti-terrorism," Rosal explained.

Rosal said, "At the minimum it is impolite for her to come to the negotiating table with hands dirtied from malevolently conspiring with her master to ensure the inclusion of the CPP-NPA-NDF and its leaders in the US, Canada and European Union's respective FTO lists."

"For talks to become fruitful, she would have to recognize that the CPP/NPA/NDFP advances a legitimate revolutionary program that is being upheld by a large section of the Filipino people. Otherwise, she would only look self-contradictory and -- in fact, ridiculous -- discussing with supposed terrorists an agenda that seeks to address and resolve deep-seated social problems," Rosal added. ###

Reference:
Anne Buenaventura
Media Officer
Cellphone Number: +63910-240-3553

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Formal talks or no talks - CPP December 27, 2002

Formal talks or no talks - CPP
December 27, 2002