The National Council of Churches of the Philippines (NCCP) and the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Forum held a liturgical celebration last September 1 to commemorate the 32nd anniversary of the signing of the Hague Joint Declaration by representatives of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines ( NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) in The Hague, Netherlands.

“In light of the GRP-NDFP Joint Statement on November 23, 2023, which indicated a possible resumption/restart of peace negotiations, Church people demonstrate their earnest hopes for renewed peace negotiations, especially as various violations of human rights and international humanitarian law since last November makes this call all the more urgent,” the NCCP stated.

Church people recognized The Hague Joint Declaration as an agreement that set the goals of the negotiations, which were, first, to end the armed conflict by dealing with its roots and second, to achieve a just and lasting peace. Church people call to continue the peace talks, which had already reached an initial agreement last year.

They set September 1 as the International Day of Prayer for Just Peace in the Philippines.

In solidarity, the Christian Conference of Asia (CCA) offered a prayer for peace and reconciliation in the Philippines.

“The root causes of the ongoing conflict in the Philippines remain unaddressed, and military solutions alone have proven inadequate in achieving conflict resolution and lasting peace. Comprehensive dialogue must address social injustices, economic disparities, and human rights violations that fuel the conflict in Filipino society.”

“The continuation of military operations, red-tagging, and human rights abuses only deepens divisions among people and communities and prolongs suffering of the poor and marginalized people,” it said.

In the past month, the GRP seemed to be wavering on its commitment to the talks. In a press conference on August 19, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año said he sees no progression in the peace talks because of alleged “opposition at the local level” against repudiation of the armed struggle.

The regional offices of the NDFP and commanders of the New People’s Army condemned this statement, and called Año the number one saboteur of the talks. They also condemned the US-Marcos regime’s intent for the revolutionary forces to capitulate through talks. They refuted Año’s allegation that the revolutionary forces are “not united”, and conversely said that they are united from the national leadership to the grassroots organizations in the locality in entering and participating in the peace talks.

Año’s statement was contradicted by Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr today, September 2. In the agency’s press conference, Galvez confirmed that exploratory talks between the two sides are continuing. He further said that the Marcos regime is “very optimistic” about the continuation of the talks.