Joma Sison: Peace talks reeling well; drafts eyed in six months
Communist Party of the Philippines founding chair Jose Maria “Joma” Sison (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison on Tuesday said the ongoing peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in Oslo, Norway, had been “running very well” as he commended President Rodrigo Duterte’s determination to end decades of armed insurgencies in the country.
In an INQ&A interview, Sison said the parties were able to finish five items in the agenda, including the affirmation of previously signed agreements, accelerated process for negotiations, and reconstitution of the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig).
Sison said three reciprocal working groups were working on the remaining agreements, namely agreement on social and economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, and agreement to end hostilities to finish the drafts within the next six months.
“I’ve always said that President Duterte is more open to accelerating the peace negotiations. Previous ones more interested in the capitulation and pacification of revolutionary forces under the guise of protracted ceasefire. Now there seems to be a greeter determination on the part of the Manila government to make substantive agreements,” Sison said.
Sison said the next formal talks would be held to draft the comprehensive agreements.
The CPP leader said they were more optimistic of better results with a President like Duterte, who he said had a political will that goes along with that of NDFP.
“The armed struggle has been necessary because of what Duterte himself described as corrupt or rotten character of the system. He recognizes that the oligarchs are servants to foreign powers like the US. He has a political will that goes along with the political will of NDFP. It seems that he is determined,” he said.
INQ&A, broadcast live every Tuesday, 8 to 9 p.m, via Radyo Inquirer 990AM, INQ 990 Television (Digital Terrestrial Television), and INQUIRER.net’s Facebook and Youtube accounts, is a weekly talk show that aims to deliver insightful interviews with the country’s leading newsmakers.
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