Sison sees faster peace negotiations under Duterte admin
DAVAO CITY — Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison on Wednesday expressed confidence that comprehensive agreements on the peace talks with the incoming administration will be faster.
“There is a far greater chance than ever before for producing comprehensive agreements at a faster rate to the mutual satisfaction of both parties and most importantly to the satisfaction of the people who need and demand reforms,” Sison said in a video message played to the participants of the multi-sectoral forum on the peace process at the Ateneo de Davao University and was later shown to the media.
READ: Sison: Duterte just, reasonable; peace talks with him to succeed
He said that both sides have the same leading negotiators that were responsible for reaching ten agreements during the time of President Fidel Ramos — ranging from The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992 as the framework agreement for the peace negotiations to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law in 1998.
Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte appointed Jesus Dureza, who worked as peace negotiator under the Ramos and Macapagal-Arroyo administrations, as the presidential adviser to the peace process. Rep. Silvestre Bello III, whom Duterte appointed as chief negotiator for the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), also worked as chairman of the government panel during the time of Ramos.
READ: Dureza optimistic of peace talks with Reds
Talks to end the longest running insurgency in Asia have been on and off for decades.
The agenda on the peace negotiations are social and economic reforms; political and constitutional reforms and end of hostilities and disposition of the armed forces.
Preliminary talks between the incoming administration and the NDFP will be held next week in Oslo, Norway to agree on the agenda for the resumption of peace talks in July, Sison said.
Sison was all praises for Duterte, who was once his student: “He has long demonstrated that he has the strength of character, the political will and the determination to engage the revolutionary forces and do what is good for the people.”
The communist leader added that Duterte “is not afraid of denouncing foreign interlopers and the oligarchs and describing himself as a socialist and as the first Left president of the Philippines.”
“There should never be any problem that we cannot discuss and fix promptly, directly or through emissaries. We have the necessary degree of rapport to exchange views and come to an agreement quickly in order to bring the peace process to a successful and happy conclusion,” he added.
READ: NDFP sees peace deal within 6-9 months of Duterte administration
If the preliminary talks are successful, Duterte might release all political prisoners even before the start of the formal talks in July, according to Sison. CDG
