The indigenous peoples from various regions and Moro tribes joined the caravan in a bid to present their plight before the various government agencies in the country’s seat of power— Manila.
Why would a wealthy country that is 9,977 kilometers away interested in finding peace for a poor country like the Philippines?
The second round of the peace talks between the government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines took place at a hotel some 18 kilometers away from the main city of Oslo in Norway.
One of the plans of the Joint Monitoring Committee of both the government and the National Democratic Front is to propose the inclusion of the CARHRIHL or the comprehensive agreement on the respect for human rights and the International Humanitarian Law in the curriculum of the Department of Education.
Even as both government and communists hailed the success of the recently concluded second round of peace negotiations between the two parties in Oslo, Norway, ceasefire violations have been on the rise.
Peace negotiators from the National Democratic Front of the Philippines said they are “uneasy” and “impatient” over the “excruciating” delay in the release of political prisoners in the country.
An adviser on the peace process said the signing of the joint statement between the government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front last Sunday is just a step towards more challenging discussions.
The Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform, a network of five major religious groups in the country, lauded on Tuesday the Royal Norwegian Government for facilitating the second round of peace talks between the Government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front.
Only a little over a month, three suspects were arrested. The three were linked to the Lanao del Sur-based Maute group, the military said.
Peace panel negotiators from both government and the communists concluded its second round of talks with common frameworks and outlines on social, economic and political reforms and a commitment to grant amnesty to more than 400 political detainees.
