By ZEA CAPISTRANO, MARTIN SADONGDONG
The negotiating panels of the Philippine government (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have agreed to recommend the declaration of unilateral and reciprocal nationwide ceasefires in a bid to kick-start the revival of the stalled peace negotiations.
A copy of the joint statement by the two parties was released by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison in his official Facebook account on Sunday morning.
In a joint statement dated December 21, 2019, the parties announced that they will “separately issue the corresponding ceasefire orders” that shall be effective from 12:00 midnight of December 23 to 11:59 of January 7, 2020.
“During the ceasefire period, the respective armed units and personnel of the Parties shall cease and desist from carrying out offensive military operations against the other,” read part of the joint statement that was signed in Utrecht, The Netherlands, on Saturday.
The panels said the ceasefires aim to “generate a positive environment conducive to the holding of informal talks preparatory to the formal meeting to resume the peace negotiations.”
It added that the ceasefires are “measures of goodwill and confidence-building” this Christmas season.
The statement was signed by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello and former Agrarian Reform Secretary Hernani Braganza for the GRP, and NDFP negotiating panel senior adviser Luis Jalandoni and chairman Fidel Agcaoili.
The signing of the joint statement was witnessed by Kristina Lie Revheim, the third party facilitator from the Royal Norwegian Government.
The development came after President Duterte sent Bello to The Netherlands to start the informal talks with Sison two weeks ago.
Top security officials, such as Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., earlier suggested that the government should not agree to a Yuletide truce with the CPP-NPA-NDFP since they said only the military was adhering to it.
Lorenzana even argued that the NPA often uses the ceasefire to sneak into the villages and recruit fighters to build up its strength while the soldiers rest into their barracks.
As of writing, there is no confirmation if President Duterte has approved or rejected the recommended ceasefire between the government troops and the communist rebels.
President Duterte terminated the peace negotiations with the NDFP, the political wing of the CPP when he issued Proclamation No. 360 on November 23, 2017. The talks would have been on its fifth round.
