The National Democratic Front of the Philippines said they are disappointed with the setback suffered by the formal talks with the government as they hoped to achieve an agreement on social and economic reforms.
The GRP’s decision not to participate in the 5th round of formal talks threatens to squander the goodwill and the gains that have already been achieved in the peace negotiations in the past nine months, especially in the crafting of a substantive agreement on social and economic reforms.
While we have gone this far and the Filipino people are rooting/supporting us, there are challenges that we must together address as we meet here today on the scheduled 5th round of peace negotiations.
The government peace panel has finally sealed the fate of the fifth round of talks by withdrawing from it.
After an impasse on the fifth round of talks on the first day of the supposed opening ceremony yesterday, members of the peace panels from the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines gathered in a Eucharistic mass officiated by a Filipino Archbishop here Sunday, May 28.
The Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reforms of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines said it is vital to ink a deal to have a conducive environment to proceed with the peace negotiation
The fifth round of talks between the Philippine government and communists was put on hold on the day that it was supposed to open here Saturday, May 27. Both peace panels said it will be deliberating further on the formal resumption of the talks today.
The New People’s Army Operations Command in Davao region said it will further intensify its “revolutionary struggle” amid the Martial Law declaration in the island of Mindanao.
The scheduled opening ceremony for the fifth round of talks between the government and the communists was suspended as the Philippine government announced that it will not participate in the scheduled fifth round of talks here until communists cease its armed operations.
The National Democratic Front of the Philippines said it is one with the Philippine government in fighting local terrorists groups.
