Malacañang, Makabayan laud ceasefire agreement

Malacañang on Thursday applauded the agreement on an interim ceasefire between the government and communist rebels and said it looked forward to the cessation of hostilities that it was expected to bring.

The interim joint ceasefire will take effect once both sides agree to the guidelines and ground rules, and will remain in place until a permanent ceasefire deal is hammered out to mark the end of hostilities.

“We hope this prevents further hostilities and unnecessary loss of lives on the ground,” said Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella.

Abella also said that despite what appears to be the plodding pace of the peace process, progress was being made by negotiators from the government and the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), who held their fourth round of formal talks in the Netherlands this week.

“The peace process, while seemingly slow, highlights the maturing social and political sense of the Filipino. Together, let us build communities that are just and peaceful. This is what being an independent sovereign nation is all about,” he said.

A Makabayan lawmaker also praised the latest achievement in the long-running peace negotiations, saying the agreement signed on Wednesday had proven naysayers wrong regarding the goodwill between President Duterte’s administration and the NDFP in seeking a peaceful end to the 48-year-old communist insurgency.

“That breakthroughs and advances in the substantive agenda were reached by the panels, despite the grueling negotiations  … only showed the continuing trust, goodwill and good faith of both panels, as well as the members of their respective delegations,” Zarate said in a statement from the Netherlands where he observed the talks.

“These gains also proved wrong the doomsayers, particularly from the failed previous administrations, and the militarists and spoilers, in and out of the government, who were trying to derail the forward trajectory of the peace process,” he said.

Zarate praised the “positive gesture” of the Communist Party of the Philippines  to direct its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), to free a police officer and three soldiers the rebels are holding captive.

Zarate also welcomed the announcement by the government panel of the release of at least 23 more political prisoners.

Another Makabayan lawmaker, however, cautioned against celebrating too soon.

“We should stay vigilant, especially as no ceasefire is yet in effect,” Kabataan Rep. Sarah Elago said in a separate statement.

The youth party representative questioned the government panel’s sincerity, noting how a phone call from the President had delayed the opening of the fourth round of talks.

“Even before the [government] panel left, the President’s marching orders to them were to get him a bilateral ceasefire. That makes their sincerity questionable. It reeks of plain capitulation and pacification,” Elago said.

She slammed the Armed Forces of the Philippines for its “utter disregard” of previous agreements and for urging civilians to condemn the NPA for its “atrocities and antidevelopment activities.”

“They will stop at nothing to ‘flatten the hills,’ terrorize communities, and vilify innocent civilians as NPA sympathizers, which has actually cost them their lives and livelihood,” Elago said.