Delay in peace talks could embolden peace saboteurs, warns solon

Apparently dismayed over President Rodrigo Duterte’s cancelation of the peace talks again, a party-list lawmaker cautioned on Friday the delay would only make room for spoilers and saboteurs to damage the process.

According to Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, issues raised by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza for the postponement could be addressed even while the peace talks are ongoing.

He pointed out that these issues “should not be used as stumbling blocks or preconditions for the resumption of the negotiations.”

“The longer it takes for the talks to restart, the peace spoilers and saboteurs would also have a longer time to sabotage the process,” the opposition lawmaker said in a statement.

The government and communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) were supposed to return yet again to the negotiating table on June 28.

But Dureza announced its postponement anew on Thursday, saying there was a need to “listen” to the public first before finalizing a peace deal with the communists.

READ: Dureza: Peace talks with Reds on June 28 canceled / Duterte resets talks with Reds

But Zarate stressed that the Filipino people have long supported the peace talks in order to achieve “a just and lasting peace.”

“Indeed, addressing the root causes of the armed conflict like landlessness, oppression, and exploitation, among others, will certainly get the continued support of the majority of Filipinos,” he said.

Zarate then urged both panels to resume the talks at the soonest time possible.
READ: Duterte on resuming peace talks in June: I’m not ready for that

NDFP peace panel chair Fidel Agcaoili had earlier expressed their disappointment over the cancelation of the negotiations.

However, despite the latest postponement, Agcaoili said the NDFP welcomes the government’s explanation for the cancelation, and subsequent schedule adjustment.

READ: Postponement of peace talks upsets NDFP

/kga