Peace talks: Ball now in Aquino’s court–NDF

LUCENA CITY, Philippines—The resumption of the stalled peace negotiation between the government and the communist rebels now lies with President Aquino, according to overseas-based leaders of the revolutionary movement.

“The ball is in the hands of the Aquino regime,” Luis Jalandoni, chief peace negotiator of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), said Wednesday in an online interview.

Jalandoni said Aquino “must answer to the people for the continuing disrespect for the binding peace agreements.”

He said it shows the “intransigence”of the Aquino administration and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) headed by Sec. Teresita Deles.

Jalandoni accused Aquino of “disrespect” for the accords signed between government representatives and the NDFP during the administration of former President Fidel Ramos.

He cited two major agreements—The Hague Joint Declaration, Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) signed on Feb. 24, 1995, and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (Carhrihl) signed on March 16, 1998.

Under the Jasig, consultants and staff of the NDFP who are part of the negotiating team are granted immunity from arrest, detention and provide safety guarantees “to create a favorable atmosphere conducive to free discussion and free movement during the peace negotiations, and avert any incident that may jeopardize the peace negotiation.”

Carhrihl is the first of four substantive peace agenda items that would constitute the final peace settlement with the NDF to end the 44-year insurgency. The agreement seeks to uphold principles of human rights and international humanitarian law in the context of armed conflict.

Jalandoni tagged Aquino’s refusal to honor the agreements as “scandalous.”

In a separate online interview, Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, accused Aquino and Deles of shutting the door to peace negotiations.

“No one can unlock their stubbornness and stupidity at this stage. They will go down in history as saboteurs of the peace process,”said Sison.