PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

CPP-NPA-NDF awaits Malacaņang affirmative action on peace
December 24, 2002

"The Communist Party, the New People's Army and the entire revolutionary movement are certainly open to the resumption of peace talks, if the Macapagal-Arroyo government is sincere about it. We are awaiting affirmative action on their part."

This was the reaction of Communist Party of the Philippines spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal to the possibility that Malacaņang may now take favorable steps in response to the results of the latest Pulse Asia survey which showed that as many as seven out of ten Filipinos favor the resumption of the GRP-NDF peace talks.

"The results turned out to be a big rebuke to President Macapagal-Arroyo's earlier claim that 95% of Filipinos do not want the government to continue peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF," Rosal asserted.

Rosal explained that the CPP "is always open to talks with any government willing to go to the negotiating table and enter into agreements in order to seriously address the roots of the civil war and attain genuine peace in the country."

"Si Gloria lang naman ang nagsara ng pinto (It was only Gloria who closed the door)," Rosal said, "but it would certainly be a welcome turn of events if indeed she changes her mind." The peace talks have been suspended by the government since the middle of last year after the NPA punished Rodolfo Aguinaldo, who was a police colonel before he became Cagayan governor and congressman. Aguinaldo was meted the death penalty by the NPA for his numerous crimes of summary execution, torture and other forms of brutality and human rights violations against captured NPA guerrillas, political detainees and suspected members of the NPA's mass base.

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said Monday that the Cabinet group concerned is presently reviewing a proposed peace agreement with the NDF.

Rosal said that Malacaņang "is feeling the pressure arising from the widespread rejection of her policy of terrorist-labelling and all-out war of terror against the revolutionary movement and now has to heed the people's expressed desire for the peace talks in order to prop up the president's sagging popularity."

He said this is evidenced by her "token declaration of a four-day ceasefire accompanied by an indication of willingness to resume peace talks with the NDF."

However, Rosal also said, "Malacaņang has to show it is really sincere in wanting to resume talks with the NDF."

"If she really wants to talk peace and also recover from her isolation, Macapagal-Arroyo must immediately stop her brutal all-out war of terror and withdraw all ongoing military offensives in wide areas of the NPA territories. Her war, which does not follow international humanitarian rules of engagement, and her AFP's relentless military operations have been wreaking havoc on civilian communities and innocent people," Rosal said.

"And for the peace talks to get anywhere," Rosal continued, "Malacaņang should stop downgrading the negotiations to back-channel talks, agree to the formal process and reaffirm prior GRP-NDF agreements, including the The Hague Joint Declaration and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law."

Rosal explained that the armed conflict arises from the systemic exploitation and oppression of the people and cannot be done away with simply through a "single-process peace agreement that merely glosses over and does not really address the roots of the raging civil war." He said that Malacaņang should adhere to previous agreements that set the proper conduct and sequence of the peace negotiations.

The Hague Joint Declaration specified the step-by-step process of discussing and settling the four major items in the substantive agenda in the following order: human rights; socio-economic reforms; political and electoral reforms; and military reorientation and reorganization, before arriving at a comprehensive political settlement and cessation of hostilities. "Malacaņang should drop its notion that genuine peace will be attained with the signing of a hastily drawn up 'single-process, final peace agreement'," Rosal added.

"She should also drop the terrorist-label she has stamped on the CPP/NPA/NDF. She should recognize that the NDF represents legitimate revolutionary ideals and is steeped in principled and disciplined pro-people revolutionary practice," Rosal said. "It would be contradictory and ridiculous on her part to label us as terrorists and at the same time hold talks with the NDF." ###

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



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