Leftists won’t quit Duterte Cabinet; to push for peace talks

Duterte Cabinet: (From left) Rafael Mariano of the Department of Agrarian  Reform; Leonor Briones of the Department of Education; Silvestro Bello of the Department of Labor and Employment and a government peace negotiator in the talks with the communist rebels; and Fort de la Pena of the Department of Science and Technology. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

MANILA — No resignations here. President Duterte’s Cabinet secretaries allied with the Left intend to stay put to push for the resumption of the cancelled peace talks between the Philippine government and the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

In a joint statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, and National Anti-Poverty Commission Secretary Liza Maza said 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.”

“As heads of national government agencies tasked to address poverty and improve the quality of life of the Filipino, we believe that the GRP should move the peace negotiations with the NDFP forward. 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,” the joint statement read.

“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,” the Secretaries said.

The Cabinet secretaries lamented the peace talks were placed on a “standstill,” enumerating the progress made on initial talks so far:  “They have reached a common understanding of the agrarian unrest in the country and have agreed in principle to the free distribution of land to farmers and farm workers….The Reciprocal Working Groups on Political and Constitutional Reforms (RWGs-PCR) were able to exchange views on the proposal to form a federal form of government and the need for safeguards and constitutional guarantees as demanded by the people.”

Despite Duterte going so far as branding the communists as “terrorists,” the Cabinet secretaries expressed continued support for the President, saying that it was due to the “political will” of Duterte that talks with the communist rebels have been “productive” after three decades.

National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) Lead Convenor Liza Maza.  INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

“Recognizing the urgent need for genuine change, the President has made a commitment to lift nine million Filipinos out of poverty by the end of his term. The statement adds weight on the Government’s work in implementing a genuine agrarian reform, building its industries, and promoting social welfare and development as an integral part of poverty alleviation,” the Cabinet secretaries said.

The Cabinet secretaries said while talks on the CASER had been ongoing, “the agencies under the Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cluster is working on the direct, immediate and substantial benefits that are advantageous to the poor and the marginalized sectors of society.”  SFM