Renato Reyes Jr. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) on Monday questioned the Philippine government’s (GPH) sincerity regarding the peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) as it has yet to release political prisoners.
“It’s already August 1 and not a single political prisoner has been released in line with the peace talks,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said in a statement released days after President Rodrigo Duterte lifted his unilateral ceasefire order.
“The formal talks are supposed to resume on August 20. That’s not a deadline or ultimatum set by the NDFP, (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) by the way. The release is a matter of commitment by the GPH,” Reyes said.
The NDFP is the political arm of the CPP, which has been waging the longest-running communist insurgency in Asia.
Reyes said it was the government that asked for the postponement of the talks to it could release political prisoners.
“The GPH panel should explain how it plans to fulfill this commitment as part of upholding previous agreements that include JASIG (Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees) and the CARHRIHL (Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law),” he said.
Militant groups like Bayan have long decried the arrest of fellow activists or NDFP consultants through alleged trumped up charges. Reyes said many are arrested without warrant and “have evidence planted against them.”
“The PH government is duty-bound to rectify these serious rights violations,” he said.
Duterte has had a good relationship with the Left even before he assumed the presidency. However, the negotiations seemingly hit a snag after an encounter resulted in the death of a soldier.
READ: Militiaman killed, 4 hurt in NPA ambush in Davao Norte
He gave an ultimatum to CPP to reciprocate the ceasefire and lifted it when the CPP failed to respond on time.
The CPP, on the other hand, said they had informed the Philippine government that it can only issue a ceasefire a couple of hours after the prescribed deadline.
READ: Sison: CPP-NPA-NDF supposed to declare ceasefire at 8 p.m.
Officials from both sides said the formal peace negotiations should still push through this month. RAM/rga