Zarate urges for no set preconditions in resumption of peace talks

While he welcomed President Rodrigo Duterte’s openness to revive the foiled peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate said both parties should not set preconditions for the negotiations to resume.

“While we welcome Pres. Duterte’s openness to the resumption of talks, it would be best if the two parties would not set preconditions for it to resume. It is important, though, that past mutual binding commitments and agreements be honored and complied with,” Zarate said in a statement Wednesday,

In Oriental Mindoro last Tuesday, Duterte said he was open to resuming peace talks with communists as long as a mutual ceasefire was declared, communists stop collecting “revolutionary taxes from businesses,” among others.

READ: Duterte to Reds: Stop attacks, ‘revolutionary taxes’ and we’ll talk

NDFP Chief Political Consultant Joma Sison also welcomed Duterte’s pronouncement.

READ: NDFP ready to resume peace talks with gov’t — Sison

The revival of peace talks recently surfaced after at least 61 multi-partisan House members signed a resolution urging the President to resume the negotiations.

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III and other senators have also expressed support to the revival of the peace talks between the government and the NDFP.

Zarate likewise proposed that the parties start talking where they left off and just iron out the details.

“They can also go for the simultaneous signing of the Comprehensive Agreement of Social and Economic Reforms (Caser) and a joint ceasefire so that the concerns of both parties and our people for a just and lasting peace can already be effectively addressed,” he added.

Duterte terminated the peace negotiations with the NDFP last year, followed by a proclamation declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and New People’s Army (NPA) as terrorist organizations. /je