Taguiwalo, Mariano, Maza move to save peace talks with Reds

Leftist Cabinet members on Tuesday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to continue with the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

In a joint statement, Secretaries Rafael V. Mariano (Department of Agrarian Reform), Judy M. Taguiwalo (Department of Social Welfare and Development) and Liza L. Maza (National Anti-Poverty Commission) said that they will “continue to engage within the Cabinet and the rest of the administration towards the resumption of the talks and strengthening the civilian voice in the peace process.”

The President on Sunday announced the termination of the government’s unilateral ceasefire, saying there would be no more peace talks with the communists without a “compelling reason.”
READ: Duterte: No more peace talks with Reds without ‘compelling reason’

“The current agenda on the table, the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER), is the most substantive agenda in the negotiations and is key to lasting peace and long-term poverty eradication. We are one with the peace advocates, legislators, and individuals who urge both parties to resume the talks,” the secretaries said.

The talks have been productive and in the third round in Rome, both parties surpassed earlier expectations and were able to exchange initial views on their respective drafts of the CASER.

“Both parties were looking forward to meeting again in the fourth round of talks to flesh out these agreements and move to address the issues of land reform and rural development, national industrialization and economic growth, access to social services, patrimony and sovereignty,” they said.

The secretaries said that it was unfortunate that the talks had now come to a standstill.

“The foremost concern of both parties in the peace negotiations is the interest of the Filipino people to address the roots of poverty and achieve a just and lasting peace,” they said.

“Let each side come to terms with the compelling reasons why we have to come to the negotiating table in the first place. For it is the welfare of the Filipinos, in their millions, that is at the core of the peace negotiations,” they added./ac/rga

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