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Opening Statement GRP-NDFP Formal Peace Talks

Negotiating Panel
National Democratic Front of the Philippines
March 30, 2004

Oslo, Norway, 30 March-2 April 2004
by Luis G. Jalandoni
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel

Officials of the Royal Norwegian Foreign Ministry, Mr. Tore Hattrem, Ambassador Paul Moe, and other Norwegian officials, Secretary Teresita Deles, Panel Chairperson Silvestre H. Bello III and other GRP officials, Supreme Bishop Tomas A. Millamena, mutually agreed Third Party Depositary and independent observer to the Joint Monitoring Committee.

Allow me to introduce our NDFP delegation to this round of formal talks: Mr. Fidel V. Agcaoili, Ms. Julieta de Lima, Ms. Coni Ledesma, Mr. Asterio Palima and myself as members of the negotiating panel; Prof. Jose Ma. Sison, Chief Political Consultant, U.N. Judge Romeo T. Capulong, Senior Legal Consultant, Mr. Jose Danilo Borjal and Mr. Rey Claro Casambre, consultants of the panel, Atty. Jayson Lamchek, Special Legal Consultant on the Issue of Terrorism, Ms. Ruth de Leon, Head of Secretariat; Messrs. Rafael Baylosis and Randall Echanis, members of the Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reforms, Ms. Vivian de Lima, Economics Consultant, Atty. Marie F. Yuvienco, Legal Consultant of RWC-SER, Atty. Edre U. Olalia, Legal Consultant for the Joint Monitoring Committee, Marie H. Enriquez, independent observer in the JMC, Ms. Lualhati Roque and Mr. Alvin Firmeza, staff and researchers for RWC-SER. It is noteworthy that all four lawyers are with the Public Interest Law Center.

We greet and express our appreciation to the Royal Norwegian Government for hosting and facilitating this resumption of the formal peace talks between the GRP and the NDFP. In the spirit of improving our relations with it as third party facilitator we aim to have additional consultations with its officials on the occasion of this round of formal talks.

As in previous rounds of informal and formal talks, our delegation is prepared to work hard for significant positive results in this round of formal talks. Of highest priority for us is the discussion on the effective measures regarding "terrorist" listing. In accordance with the Oslo Joint Statement item no. 3, effective measures against the "terrorist" listing must be undertaken in consonance with The Hague Joint Declaration and other bilateral agreements. By signing the said statement, the GRP has tacitly but unconditionally and irrevocably renounced its previous collaboration with the US and other governments with regard to the "terrorist" listing.

The Oslo Joint Statement explicitly mandates both parties to undertake effective measures against the so-called terrorist listing and to do so in consonance with the fundamental principles agreed upon by the parties in The Hague Joint Declaration and other bilateral agreements. And the most fundamental of these principles are mutual obligation to uphold the national sovereignty of the Filipino people, reciprocal respect for the organizational integrity and status under international law of the parties in the peace negotiations, good faith negotiations in the pursuit of a just and lasting peace by mutually addressing the root causes of the armed conflict, and freedom of the forces and personnel of both parties from blackmail and harassment.

We consider it crucially important for the continuation of the formal talks that a satisfactory result to the negotiations on this matter is achieved during this round of formal talks, especially after the arrival statement of Secretary Deles on 15 February 2004 and the GRP Panel's Clarificatory Statement of 18 February 2004 violated the Oslo Joint Statement on this point and instead of helping to resolve the outstanding issue of "terrorist" listing has aggravated it. This is a matter of fundamental importance that must be resolved satisfactorily. This is a prejudicial question. We shall not agree to glossing over this matter and we firmly reject any insinuation that time dedicated to resolving this issue satisfactorily is time wasted. On the contrary, the records will show that much time had been wasted not only in the previous round of talks but also in the past more than two years because of the refusal of the GRP to properly address this issue.

We are ready to do our part in the operationalization of the Joint Monitoring Committee, the setting up of its Joint Secretariat, taking up its budgetary requirements to set in motion this important joint mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

We place much importance on the release of political prisoners. We call for decisive and speedy action on the part of the GRP to expedite the release of those whose orders of release had been signed by the GRP President since 2001, the women especially the nursing mothers such as Zenaida Llesis, the minors, the sick and elderly and so many others among the almost 300 political prisoners who have been charged with common crimes in violation of the Amado V. Hernandez political offense doctrine and continue to be detained in violation of the CARHRIHL. We again call for the release of Donato Continente who has served his minimum sentence about two years ago. We strongly support the nationwide hunger strike of the political prisoners that started yesterday to underline their just demands.

We also call for effective steps by the GRP to ensure that the victims of human rights violations during the Marcos dictatorship are assured the indemnification due them and that the amount of at least P 8 billion or approximately USD 150 million plus interest be appropriately safeguarded for distribution to the almost 10,000 human rights claimants who won their suit in the US Court.

We are prepared to continue the negotiations on social and economic reforms and seek to achieve the goals set at the resumption of the formal talks last 10-14 February 2004. Our RWC-SER and its subcommittees are ready to continue their work.

We call for compliance with agreements that have been signed and negotiations in good faith that will truly address the root causes of the armed conflict and thereby respond to the national and democratic aspirations of all sections of the people and the wide clamor for a just and lasting peace in our country. #