National Democratic Front spokesman Fidel Agcaoili meets reporters in Davao City after a forum on the GPH-NDF peace process organized by the Ateneo de Davao University on Wednesday. Beside him is ADDU President Fr. Joel Tabora, SJ. (Ace R. Morandante/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY — The National Democratic Front said the issue on the US’ terror tag against the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army can adversely affect the return of CPP founder Prof. Jose Maria Sison, who is supposed to meet with President –elect Rodrigo Duterte.
Duterte, who is Sison’s former student in Political Thought at the Lyceum of the Philippines University, initially discussed the possible return to the country of the exiled Party leader.
NDF spokesman Fidel Agcaoili said to travel from Holland to Manila, Sison must pass by Taipei.
“If the US will be a spoiler, Sison might be presented a warrant in Taipei by the Interpol, which the US has control. Then the peace talks will be in kaput,” Agcaoili told reporters in media briefing at the Ateneo de Davao University on Wednesday night.
Agcaoili said the issue should be discussed seriously and that guarantees from states should be given to ensure that the peace talks will not be affected.
“There has to be some guarantees from the Dutch government, the Norwegian government , the US government to respect the sovereignty of the Filipino people in their desire to pursue a just and lasting peace without interference,” he said.
But Agcaooli is not sure whether the US will agree with providing a guarantee saying the world’s superpower “has always been a bully”.
Preliminary talks
The preliminary talks between the NDF and the incoming administration will be held in Oslo, Norway next week.
Agcaoili said the agenda will include the resumption of the peace negotiations in accordance with the previously signed agreements; granting general amnesty to political prisoners; having an interim mutual ceasefire; and the possibility of accelerating the peace negotiations.
He said, Duterte will send incoming peace process adviser Jesus Dureza Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello and Hernani Braganza. He also mentioned Carla Munsayac from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process as among the government’s panel.
Meanwhile, Agcaoili said the NDF team will be composed of NDF Chairperson of the Negotiating Panel Luis Jalandoni, Connie Ledesma, Sison, two lawyers and himself.
Third meeting
The NDF negotiator has met with Duterte for the third time in the early morning of Wednesday, June 8 to discuss about the nominations for the incoming members of the Cabinet.
Duterte offered four Cabinet posts to the CPP, which includes the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Agrarian Reform. However, Duterte decided that he would be heading the DENR because of the security issues surrounding the agency.
During their first meeting on May 17, after the presidential elections, they discussed about the possibility of Duterte and Sison meeting abroad after Duterte visits the Pope in the Vatican. But the plan to meet was moved after Duterte’s official proclamation.
“And if something happened, there might be trouble. So its better that he consolidate his hold on the position,” said Agcaoili, adding that the president-elect will instead be sending his emissaries to start the talks with the NDF. They also talked about the release of the political prisoners and the possibility of an accelerated peace process.
On their second meeting on May 24, the NDF forwarded their initial list of their nominees for the post.
Time frame
Agcaoili said the draft for the acceleration of the peace process is almost similar to the draft they submitted to the Aquino government in December 2014. He said the time frame is six to nine months.
The six months, he said, will cover the discussion of the second substantive agenda which is the agreement on social and economic reforms.
He said while the second agreement is being negotiated, the other working groups for the political and constitutional reforms can start simultaneously.
Agcaoili said, although the time frame does not yet include the agreement on the end of hostilities and the disposition of forces, an agreement that can be reached on how to go about the last substantive agenda of the peace process can be achieved.
“Pero the moment na magkaroon ng agreement dun wala na yung fighting (The moment that an agreement is reached, then fighting can cease),” he said.
The four substantive agenda of the formal peace negotiations between the government and the NDF include human rights and international humanitarian law, socio-economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, and the end of hostilities and disposition of forces.(davaotoday.com)
