ILIGAN CITY, Philippines -- Communist rebels are doubtful peace negotiations to with government can resume within the remaining 30 months of President Benigno Aquino III’s administration.
In a statement marking its 45th founding anniversary Thursday, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines blamed this gloomy prospect on what it called Aquino’s disinterest in pursuing a just conclusion to the armed conflict.
“In view of the proven unwillingness of the Aquino regime to negotiate a just peace, the revolutionary movement does not expect the resumption of peace negotiations with the regime. It has no choice but to wait for the next regime to engage in serious negotiations,” the CPP said.
But government said it is not ruling out a return to the negotiating table until the rebels categorically say so.
“For the record, the government has not received any official communication from the CPP expressing their intent to no longer negotiate with the current administration,” presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Quintos-Deles said in a text message.
“If this is indeed their intent, the government, on the other hand, remains committed to work for a peaceful settlement of all internal armed conflict. Government will not close the peace table to those who want to pursue sincere and truthful dialogue in responding to our people’s call for peace,” she added. “We will continue to seek ways to resume negotiations on the basis of a doable and timebound agenda.”
Stalled tracks
The rebels, represented by the National Democratic Front, have been engaged in on-and-off talks with government for two decades now.
When talks resumed under the Aquino administration after six years of being stalled, the negotiations followed a regular and a special track.
The regular track, done through the peace panels, involves building consensus on four substantive agenda as defined by The Hague Joint Declaration inked by the parties on September 1, 1992.
The regular track has been stalled since February 2011, mainly over the issue of government’s refusal to release detained NDF consultants.
The talks broke off during discussions on the second agenda, social and economic reforms. The first agenda, respect for human rights and international humanitarian law, was concluded through an agreement inked on March 16, 1998.
The third agenda is political and constitutional reforms and the last is cessation of hostilities and disposition of forces.
The special track, on the other hand, involved a rebel proposal for an alliance and truce, and was supposed to run parallel to and complement the regular track.
However, the special track stalled in February this year after the parties failed to agree on a joint declaration on, among others, upholding national sovereignty and the need for genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization.
Unrealized meeting
Had the joint declaration been agreed on, it could have paved the way for a meeting between Aquino and Sison this year similar to the one with Moro Islamic Liberation Front chairman Murad Ebrahim in Tokyo.
The Aquino-Murad meeting helped hasten peace negotiations between government and the MILF.
The CPP said “the Aquino regime is not at all interested in peace negotiations but the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces and people under the guise of unilateral simultaneous indefinite ceasefires.
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“It has rebuffed the offer of the NDF for truce and alliance or cooperation on the basis of a concise general common intent to realize and carry forward national independence, democracy, social justice, development through land reform and national industrialization, people’s culture and international solidarity,” it added.
For the CPP, the truce and alliance or cooperation “are meant to promote the accelerated negotiation of the remaining comprehensive agreements in accordance with The Hague Joint Declaration.”
More offensives
The CPP urged its supporters to “do our best to cause the ouster of the Aquino regime or compel Aquino’s resignation from his office...” over the next few years.
“We consider our efforts to remove Aquino from power as part of the process of strengthening the revolutionary movement and overthrowing the entire ruling system...” the CPP said, citing the role of the legal mass movement in ousting the Marcos and Estrada governments, 15 years apart from each other.
“Even if this would not succeed, the movement would still be strengthened and will further cause the US-Aquino regime to fail in its brutal attempt to destroy the armed revolution of the people,” the CPP added.
The group also ordered its armed wing, the New People’s Army to “intensify the offensives” against enemy targets.
“We must wage battles to wipe out enemy units and seize their weapons. This is the way to strengthen the people’s army for the purpose of overthrowing the reactionary state,” said the CPP, which aims to increase its fighting strength to 25,000.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines has estimated NPA strength at around 4,000 armed fighters as of mid-2013.
The CPP hopes to capture political power through total military victory, building its armed strength from the countrysides where the state is weakest.
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