Dureza: Preparations ongoing for Duterte, NDFP leaders’ meet

FIREPOWER New People’s Army guerrillas during a training session somewhere in the Cordilleras in June 2013. —EV ESPIRITU

DAVAO CITY—Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza said preparations were being made for the homecoming of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultants Fidel Agcaoili and Luis Jalandoni, who earlier expressed willingness to seek an audience with President Duterte for the resumption of peace talks between the government and communist rebels.

“They were sending word that they want to talk to us here and so we will also respond positively if they do come to the Philippines,” Dureza said on the sidelines of the Mindanao Media Summit here.

“There are preparations being made but I’m not at liberty to discuss,” he said.

Dureza, however, said Mr. Duterte would have his final say after he comes home from his trip from the Association of Southeast Asian meeting in Singapore and the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Papua New Guinea.

November meet

Dureza said the meeting with Agcaoili and Jalandoni might happen before the end of November.

When asked if the two NDFP leaders would not risk arrest in coming here, Dureza said he had checked and found that the two NDFP leaders had no pending warrant of arrests.

“They will not be arrested unless they violate the law if they come here,” Dureza said.

He added that the petition filed at the Department of Justice to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing New People’s Army and the NDFP as terrorist groups remained pending.

“So, if they’re coming here and the President agrees, I don’t think they will be touched at all,” he said.

“I’m sure Louie and Fidel will not come if they think there is that danger,” he said.

In a recent statement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines welcomed plans for the President to meet with the NDFP consultants.

Ready for peace

“While your AFP is always prepared for war, we are also prepared for peace,” AFP public affairs office chief Col. Noel Detoyato said.

He said the military had always supported peace initiatives and dialogues including the possible resumption of peace talks after the meeting of the NDFP consultants with Mr. Duterte.

“We are always thinking positively that peace initiatives will result in favorable conditions,” Detoyato said.

He, however, said should the NDFP consultants have warrants of arrest, law enforcers would have no choice but to bring them in.

In a separate statement, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said it was up to the President to meet with the NDFP consultants.

The President, Lorenzana said, “has the prerogative to talk to them if he wants to.”

Mr. Duterte “doesn’t even have to clear or consult with anybody,” Lorenzana added.

Sison’s caution

Jose Maria Sison, CPP founding chair and chief NDFP political consultant, had expressed reservations about Jalandoni and Agcaoili’s planned trip to the Philippines.

Sison said they should be first given an assurance that they would not be “bothered” by police or military during their stay in the Philippines.

In a short message to reporters, Sison said, “nothing is definite yet whether they will be able to meet” the President.

Agcaoili had said in a recent statement that he, Agcaoili and another member of the NDFP’s peace negotiating panel were open to personally speaking with Mr. Duterte when they return to the Philippines this month.

Agcaoili said they were returning to the Philippines for “work as members of the NDFP component in the joint monitoring committee under the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.”

His announcement came several days after NDFP peace consultant Vicente Ladlad was arrested for alleged illegal possession of firearms and explosives. —REPORTS FROM GERMELINA LACORTE AND JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE