PRESS RELEASE
Information Bureau
Communist Party of the Philippines

Arroyo set to drop peace talks -- CPP
November 2, 2004

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) charged the Arroyo government with preparing to drop peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front (NDF) altogether in a decision arrived at after a recent National Security Council (NSC) meeting.

CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said that after the NSC meeting convened on October 19 by Arroyo, she announced that her government would be conducting a "comprehensive reassessment" of its strategy in confronting the revolutionary movement as well as a "review" of its negotiations with the NDF.

The so-called "comprehensive reassessment" and "review of negotiations" are but doublespeak for ending peace negotiations with the NDF, said Rosal.

He said that this has become apparent with the Arroyo regime's wild claims about the NPA's so-called international terrorist links and the government's issuance of impossible preconditions for the talks such as a demand for a ceasefire declaration from the NDF.

The only thing that has been stopping Malaca�ang from outrightly dropping the talks is the negative political impact this would have on the already volatile situation confronting the Arroyo government, said Rosal. "Upon advise of its PR specialists, Malaca�ang has undertaken a propaganda campaign to condition people's mind into accepting its decision to abandon peace talks altogether and allow the military to address what is principally a social and political question ," he added.

Rosal moreover dismissed news reports of a split within Arroyo's cabinet regarding the peace talks that portrayed the military in favor of negotiations and former Malaca�ang security adviser Norberto Gonzales as the leading "hawk" whose stand is to scuttle the talks.

"The military generals and ex-generals are warmongers. They do not know any other path but the path of counterrevolutionary war," Rosal said. "On the other hand, Arroyo is the biggest militarist zealot, next only to Norberto Gonzales," he added.

"Arroyo has in fact been going all out for the military, covering up for the massive corruption within its ranks and appointing ex-generals to head juicy corruption-laden government offices," he said.

Rosal moreover blasted Arroyo for "duplicity" for entering into agreements with the NDF early this year, but without any serious intention of carrying out the obligations stipulated in such agreements.

He cited the current impasse in the GRP-NDF peace negotiations, where Malaca�ang completely disregarded efforts that went into the forging of the February and April Oslo Agreements by refusing to take any positive measure to uphold national sovereignty against US interventionism in its inclusion of the CPP, the NPA and NDF Senior Consultant Jose Ma. Sison in its list of so-called "foreign terrorists".

"Unlike the GRP, the NDF and the revolutionary forces have always complied with the agreements that it has entered into," said Rosal.

"As far as the NDF and the revolutionary forces are concerned, the policy is crystal clear: even as we carry out revolutionary armed struggle, we are always ready to sit down and conduct peace talks with any government that seriously wants to pursue a political settlement of the civil war," Rosal stressed.

"In the face of Arroyo's imminent move to completely scuttle peace talks, revolutionary forces will continue to unite the Filipino people to pursue their national and democratic interests," Rosal said. "More than ever, the revolutionary armed struggle is proving to be the most effective method to achieve a just and lasting peace."

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



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