Marcos gov’t confident it could sign peace deal with CPP-NPA-NDFP

FRESH START Presidential peace adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. says the agreement between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) is “not a resumption of [peace] talks, nor a restart” but a new beginning. A Nov. 23, 2023 handout photo shows President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s special assistant Antonio Lagdameo Jr. shaking hands with NDFP chair Luis Jalandoni. — AFP

MANILA, Philippines — The Marcos administration is confident that it could sign the final peace agreement with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP).

Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (PAPRU) Carlito Galvez Jr. made the pronouncement after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. earlier declared that he would push for peace agreements with rebel groups.

READ: Marcos vows to implement all signed peace pacts during his term

“Very, very optimistic. Yes, within the term of the President – or even before the term ends,” Galvez said at a Palace briefing on Monday.

“So, sa ngayon ongoing po ang ating constituency building, and also ongoing pa rin po ‘yung exploratory talks natin po,” he added.

(So, right now our constituency building and exploratory talks are still ongoing.)

Galvez also said Marcos is “very committed” to finishing all agreements and implementing it during his term.

“So, ‘yun po ang pinaka guidance niya po sa main (that is his guidance to us) and we are more than happy and inspired [that] we commit to the aspiration of the President and the national government that we will finish the final peace agreement with the CPP-NPA in the future,” he added.

In November 2023, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Ernesto Lagdameo Jr. and NDFP National Executive Council member Luis Jalandoni signed a joint communique agreeing to a principled and peaceful resolution to the armed conflict and an end to the armed struggle.