Gov’t accepts Reds’ offer to fight Maute

Labor Secretary and Chief Peace Negotiator Silvestre Bello III. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./Presidential Photo

THE NETHERLANDS—The government has accepted the offer of the communist movement to join the fight against the Maute group, as well as to sign a ceasefire agreement.

Government peace panel chair and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III said the government welcomed the “firm commitment to join the fight against the Maute group, the Abu Sayyaf and other terrorist groups in the Philippines.”

“We, in particular, view as a positive development the NDFP’s (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) offer for a ceasefire agreement with the Philippine government, which will spell out specific areas of cooperation and coordination in the fight against terrorism,” Bello said.

Ceasefire signing

He said the government was expecting the signing of a ceasefire agreement in the areas where both government and New People’s Army (NPA) forces would be working together.

Bello added that they also acknowledged the offer of the NDFP for the issuance of unilateral ceasefire declarations that were simultaneous and reciprocal.

“We anticipate the immediate signing of the ceasefire agreement, which shall bind both parties pending the issuance of ceasefire declarations that are unilateral but simultaneous and reciprocal, subject to the basic guidelines outlined in the CARHR-IHL (Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law), and under a mechanism implemented by an interim joint ceasefire committee and its local liaison officers,” Bello said.

Bello said they expected both the government and the NDFP panel to “convene in the soonest time possible and discuss the terms of the ceasefire agreement under direct guidance of panelists, legal and political consultants and other personnel in the peace negotiations.”

“Preparations of the bilateral teams may include other matters that need to be discussed by both parties,” Bello said.

Fruitful meeting

The NDFP issued a position statement on Thursday after senior communist leaders met with Bello and government negotiator Angela Librado.

The NDFP is represented by Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison and NDFP chief negotiators Fidel Agcaoili and Benito Tiamzon.

Agcaoili said the three-hour meeting was fruitful, with both parties reaching an agreement to issue separate statements with a common stand against terrorism and a commitment for the continuation of the peace process.

He asserted that the level of counteraction against terrorism including its nature, scope and duration “must be appropriate and proportional to the degree of danger and threat and/or harm” by the groups involved in the siege in Marawi City.

“Upon the success of counterterrorist measures, these must cease to allow normalcy and full respect for human rights as soon as possible,” Agcaoili said.

The NDFP earlier said this could mean the redeployment of NPA fighters near Marawi and North Cotabato to directly engage terror groups.

Simultaneous, reciprocal

Agcaoili clarified that the NDFP was ready anytime to issue a nationwide unilateral ceasefire as long as it was simultaneous and reciprocal.

While both parties are engaging the Maute and Abu Sayyaf, the negotiating teams could perform preparations for the fifth round of talks through bilateral teams, Agcaoili said.

“In this connection, all panelists, legal and political consultants and other personnel in the peace negotiations must be allowed to return to the Philippines and subsequently attend the fifth round of formal talks,” Agcaoili said.