APD | President Duterte Dissolves Government Peace Panel in Negotiation with the NDF/CPP/NPA

By APD writer  Melo M. Acuña

MANILA, Mar.21(APD) – President Rodrigo Duterte has already dissolved the government panel negotiating for peaceful solution to the decades-long Communist insurgency after peace talks drew to a halt last November 2017.

The peace panel is chaired by Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III with former Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza, former Election Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, human rights lawyer Angela Librado-Trinidad and former state prosecutor Antonio Arellano as members.

In a phone interview Atty. Sarmiento said the letter was dated March 14 but he just received it yesterday.

Asked of the reason cited in the letter, Atty. Sarmiento said the panel was dissolved because the negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front/Communist Party of the Philippines/New Peoples’ Army stopped in 2017.

“Yes, I received the letter which said our services are deemed terminated upon receipt of the formal notice from the Office of the President,” he said.

In a statement, Bayan Muna, a party list with Representative Carlos Isagani Zarate said they believe the dissolution of the peace panel may be a prelude to intensified attacks against critics of President Duterte.

“The dissolution of the panel is a victory for the hawkish and militarists in the Duterte administration, who from day one of the process have already been sabotaging and derailing it,” he said in a statement sent to this writer.

He added “intensified militaristic solution to the five decade-old rebellion means more displacements of poor people and more human rights violations.”

Representative Zarate said they will continue to work for the resumption of the peace talks “even as red-tagging, black propaganda and actual attacks are conducted by state forces.”

He explained “most Filipinos stand to benefit should the root causes of the armed conflict is addressed” with peace and lasting peace would be achieved.

A former member of the peace panel said the decision to abolish the peace panel is simply “depressing.”  

Malaybalay Catholic Bishop Jose Cabantan said the conflict should be addressed in a peaceful manner.

“The way to peace is peace itself hence we need to address this in a peaceful manner,” he said in a short message to this writer.

Sister Mary John Mananzan, a Benedictine nun and former president of the Association of Major Religious Superiors for Women in the Philippines, (AMRSWP) said President Duterte’s decision “is virtually saying no more peace negotiation.”

“It is a pity because the both parties have already signed the CAHRIHL (Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Law) has been signed by both parties which goes to the root cause of insurgency,” she said.

She added the successful peace negotiations “could have been (President) Duterte’s genuine legacy.”  The 80-year old nun said the decision to dissolve the peace panel makes her believe the military want to set the conditions for any peace talk.

In today’s briefing at Malacañang, Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panel said with the dissolution of the top-level government peace panel, localized peace panels will be created to talk with rebels in various parts of the country. 

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)