Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo on Thursday said the government’s termination of peace talks with communist rebels was a “major setback” especially when “hopes were high that something good will happen” in the negotiations.
She said she hoped this would not end efforts to explore possible agreements.
“Para sa akin, nakakalungkot iyong nangyari kasi major setback ito. Isa sa mga bagay na tingin ko the government was doing right was to pursue iyong usapin tungkol sa kapayapaan. Pero hindi naman ako kasi nawawalan ng pag-asa. Tingin ko, ito ay setback lamang. Nakakalungkot na just when our hopes were high na may mangyayaring maganda out of the peace talks, mangyari ito. Pero sana, both parties hindi huminto sa paghahanap pa din ng mga points na pag-aagreehan,” Robredo said in a press briefing in her Quezon City Office.
(For me, the termination of peace talks is saddening because it is a major setback. One of the things wherein I think the government was doing right was to pursue the peace talks. But I remain hopeful. I think this is just a setback. It saddening that just when our hopes were high that something good will happen out of the peace talks, the termination took place. But I hope that both parties won’t cease to look for points to agree on.)
“Pero sana hindi huminto dito, kasi kung mayroon mga bagay na hindi napapagkasunduan, tingin ko, marami pang mga puntos na puwedeng pagkasunduan. So sana ipagpatuloy iyong usapin. Iyong pag-declare ng pag-withdraw ng ceasefire from both sides of the fence, hindi naman iyon iyong katapusan. Kahit walang ceasefire, puwede pa rin mag-usap,” she added.
(But I hope it won’t end here because if there are things which cannot be agreed upon, there are still many points to agree on so I hope the peace talks would continue. The withdrawal of ceasefire from both sides of the fence is not yet the end. The peace talks could continue even without the ceasefire.)
President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday cancelled the peace negotiations with the communists and declared an all-out war against the New People’s Army. He also branded communists rebels as “terrorists” and “spoiled brats.”
READ: AFP to wage ‘all-out war’ vs NPA—defense chief
The government also terminated the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) with the communist rebels, a 1995 deal which guarantees safety and immunity to negotiators, consultants and other personnel joining the peace talks.
READ: Gov’t terminates JASIG with Reds
Duterte has ordered the arrest of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) negotiators once they set foot in the country. RAM/rga