MANILA, Philippines – Laughter, hugs, and handshakes sealed the first joint statement of the members of the negotiating panels of incoming President-elect Rodrigo Duterte's administration and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
The joint statement signed in Oslo, Norway on Wednesday, June 15, announced the resumption of the formal peace talks between the Philippine government and the communists in the 3rd week of July.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">BREAKING: Incoming Duterte govt & NDF sign joint statement to resume formal peace talks 3rd week July 2016 in Norway <a href="https://t.co/10TppVRbAf">pic.twitter.com/10TppVRbAf</a></p>— Voltaire Tupaz (@VoltaireTupaz) <a href="https://twitter.com/VoltaireTupaz/status/743118885444931585">June 15, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
The talks will tackle the following, according to the peace negotiators:
- Affirmation of previously signed agreements
- Accelerated process of negotiations
- Reconstitution of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) list
- Amnesty Proclamation for the release of all detained political prisoners, subject to concurrence by Congress
- Mode of interim ceasefire
Jesus Dureza, Duterte's incoming adviser on the peace process, flew to Norway on Friday, June 10, to meet with NDF chief political adviser Jose Maria Sison and other NDF panel members. NDF represents the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), in the peace talks with the government.
Dureza went to Norway with incoming labor secretary Silvestro Bello III and former congressman Hernani Braganza. When they return to the Philippines, the incoming government's peace panel will present to Duterte the following recommendations:
- Immediate release of NDF consultants and other persons protected by JASIG for them to be able to participate in the talks.
- Immediate release of other political prisoners based on humanitarian grounds.
The talks seek to end the 47-year-old insurgency, one of Asia's longest, which has claimed an estimated 30,000 lives since the 1960s. – Rappler.com