DAVAO CITY – The Philippine government and the Communist Party of the Philippines have separately issued a unilateral truce ahead of the formal resumption of peace negotiations between the two sides in Oslo, Norway.
The CPP on Friday evening issued the cease-fire order which will take effect starting 12:01 a.m. of August 21 and will last until 11:59 p.m. of August 27. And on Saturday, the Duterte government reciprocated this by declaring a truce with the New People’s Army, the CPP’s armed wing.
Communist leaders said the unilateral declaration of ceasefire is to celebrate and bolster the resumption of peace talks on August 22 to 26. It also coincided with the release from prison of two senior rebel leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, who will join the panel of CPP negotiators headed by its founder Jose Maria Sison, along with over a dozen other communist leaders also released from jail.
Martin Andanar, a government spokesman, said: “The President has already walked an extra mile for peace. He is glad that the Communist Party of the Philippines, New people’s Army and National Democratic Front showed a similar gesture of goodwill as a sign of sincerity to the peace process days prior to our talks in Oslo, Norway.”
“We therefore feel optimistic that the mutual efforts of both sides would lead to fruitful negotiations that could pave the way for substantive discussions in the hope of putting an end to one of Asia’s longest-running insurgencies.”
On Friday, Rubi Del Mundo, a rebel spokesman, said the National Democratic Front ordered Friday the release of prisoners of war Chief Inspector Arnold S. Ongachen and Police Officer 1 Michael B. Grande. Both policemen were captured by the New People’s Army rebels in separate operations in the restive region.
He said the captives would be handed over to the government as soon as Manila suspend the on-going military and police operations against rebel forces. He said the release of the two policemen is a gesture of goodwill for the formal resumption of the peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway.
“The People’s Democratic Government’s judicial proceedings and investigations into POW Ongachen and POW Grande’s possible war crimes and violation of people’s rights have been effectively suspended in deference to appeals of their families and peace advocates. POW Ongachen and POW Grande have apologized for their violations against the people,” Del Mundo said.
He said the government should also immediately release all the remaining 540 political prisoners languishing in various jails across the country.
“The NDFP expects the immediate release of the remaining 540 political prisoners in compliance of the Duterte government to the Comprehensive Agreement for Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and the Joint Agreement for Security and Immunity Guarantees.”
“The success of the talks en route to a viable peace accord between the two governments in the Philippines rests in the main on GPH’s—especially the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police and their paramilitaries’—adherence to previous agreements and the serious deliberation of the roots of the civil war. In these objectives, the NDFP and the entire revolutionary movement have been and continue to be firmly resolute,” Del Mundo said.
The NPA has been fighting for decades for the establishment of a separate Maoist state in the country. (Mindanao Examiner)
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