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MANILA, Philippines —The progressive fisher folk’s group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) on Friday urged the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to resume peace talks with the revolutionary groups.
Pamalakaya said that the administration should back Judge Marlo Magdoza-Malgar’s ruling that dismissed a petition that declared the CPP-NPA terrorists.
“We dare the Marcos administration to back this commendable ruling by pursuing peace negotiations with revolutionary groups that advance reasonable aspirations of any civilized society, as declared by the honorable Judge Magdoza-Malgar in the provisions itself,” Pamalakaya National Spokesperson Ronnel Arambulo stated.
Pamalakaya is also hopeful that the peace talks would identify the causes of the local armed conflict and open the door for a united front against foreign intrusions. According to Arambulo, this is the chance for the Philippine government to make peace with revolutionary organizations.
“This particular agenda of adopting an active and independent foreign policy is crucial at the height of Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea. In these trying times that the threat of foreign aggression is evident, a national unity built on the Filipino people’s patriotic cause is a must to uphold and defend our national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” Arambulo stressed.
Meanwhile, Pamalakaya also requested the Marcos administration to uphold the Manila court ruling and protect Magdoza-Malgar from any “legal reprisals from peace spoilers,” particularly the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac).
According to the progressive group, the AFP and the NTF-Elcac terror-tagged both revolutionary and progressive groups. Kristelle Razon, INQUIRER.net trainee.
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