GRP chair says now is the best time to forge a peace pact with NDF

OPPAP Media Bureau

Government chief negotiator Alexander Padilla said last Friday that now is the best time to find a political settlement with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) who have been waging the armed struggle for the past 41 years.

“The best time is now because it’s a new administration. It is done at the beginning of the term, not at the end. There is no political agenda, no coming elections,” Padilla stated during the Communication and News Exchange Forum with government media held at the Conference Room of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA).

The panel chair added that these are clear signals to the NDF that the government is sincere and serious in pursuing a peaceful solution to the conflict.

“This is what we want to project to the NDF. We hope they see it in that light,” Padilla said.

He earlier announced in Malacañang that the government and the NDF have agreed to observe a “Christmas ceasefire” beginning December 16 until January 3 following a two-day informal chair-to-chair meeting in Hong Kong.

Padilla said that he and panel member Pablito Sanidad met with NDF chair Luis Jalandoni, Consuelo Ledesma and their counsel with no preconceived agenda.

He also related that the two parties are eyeing to conduct another round of exploratory talks on the 2^nd week of January to set the agenda and lay ground rules for the resumption of peace talks on the 3^rd week of February next year.

Padilla revealed that the January and February talks will focus on the socio-economic and political-constitutional reforms, which are two of the four substantive agenda items laid down by both parties.

The other two include the end of hostilities and disposition of forces, and human rights and international humanitarian law, of which the result was the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

Padilla said that the government is not demanding the surrender of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

“We want to find a political settlement with them. All done within the mandate of the Constitution and in consultation with Sec. (Teresita) Deles and the President,” he stated.