The militant Makabayan bloc led the filing of a cross-party resolution backing the potential resumption of peace talks between the government and Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said a total of 131 congressmen signed House Resolution No.636, which expresses “the sense of the House of Representatives to support the resumption of the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines based on precious agreements between the two parties.”
Zarate said these agreements include the the Hague joint declaration of 1992 and the stand-down agreement that same year.
Among the top House officials who signed HR No.636 were Deputy Speakers Neptali Gonzales II, Luis Raymond Villafuerte Jr., Loren Legarda, Evelina Escudero, Johnny Pimentel, Eduardo Villanueva, and Michael Romero; Minority Leader Bienvenido Abante, and Deputy Minority Leader Jose Christopher Belmonte.
House majority stalwarts like Reps. Maria Laarni Cayetano, Joey Sarte Salceda, Antonio Albano, Elpidio Barzaga Jr., and Rufus Rodriguez also affixed their signatures to the document.
“It’s like an all-party resolution calling for the resumption of the peace talks following the announcement of President Duterte last Dec. 5 na bibigyan ng pagkakataon muli na buksan ang usapang pangkapayapaan na kinansel ng gobyerno noong 2018,” said Zarate.
“The resolution is a strong message of support from the members of the House in pursuing the peace process as a way of ending the root causes of the more than five-decade armed rebellion,” added the solon, who is also a House deputy minority leader. (Ellson Quismorio)