CPP protests "bounty" system

October 14, 2005

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) protested today the Arroyo regime's revival of its offer of "bounties" for the capture of leaders of the CPP, New People's Army and National Democratic Front saying it reveals the regime's complete disinterest in pursuing peace negotiations.

CPP spokesperson Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said that the bounty system "will only make the resumption of formal peace talks more difficult."

Police officials have ordered the arrest of CPP, NPA and NDF leaders after Malaca�ang againt unilaterally suspended the Joint Aggreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) signed by the Philippine government and the NDF. As in the past, Rosal said, the funds for the "bounty system" will only be used to line the pockets of high ranking military officers.

The CPP and the NDF have denounced the suspension of the JASIG as an "invalid" move by the regime.

Malaca�ang suspended the JASIG after the NDF denied claims of the government negotiating panel made claims that during the August 2005 informal talks, the two sides agreed to resume formal talks in October accompanied by a long joint ceasefire. Malaca�ang did not refute the corrections made by the NDF and instead suspended the JASIG on the grounds that the NDF has again withdrawn from the peace talks.

Rosal said that, at the same time with the announcement of the renewal of the bounty system, the Arroyo regime "wishfully hopes that CPP-NPA and NDF leaders and peace talks consultants would tremble in fear and submit to Malaca�ang's terms in resuming formal peace talks without first resolving the prejudicial questions, implementing previous agreements and correcting distortions in the government's announcements.

Rosal reiterated that the CPP-NPA and NDF cannot go along with terms for peace talks that are tantamount to surrender to the government. He expressed that the CPP-NPA and NDF are genuinely interested in sitting down formally with the government side and seriously going through the peace talks for as long as the other side is also genuinely interested and also acts in accordance to the agreements and not keep on casting aside previous agreements and distorting facts.

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

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