DAVAO CITY – Women’s partylist group Gabriela today called on House Speaker Feliciano Sonny Belmonte to push for the pending resolutions supporting the resumption of peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines following the House leader’s visit with members of the NDFP peace panel Jose Maria Sison and Luis Jalandoni in Utrecht, Netherlands.
Rep. Emmi De Jesus said among the resolutions pending in the House of Representatives are House Resolution 162 filed in August 2013 and House Resolution 1266 filed in July 2014.
House Resolution 162 calls on President Aquino to pursue the policy direction of achieving a just and lasting peace through the resumption of peace negotiations with the NDFP and institute confidence building measures conducive to its resumption, while House Resolution 1266 calls for an inquiry on the current status of the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) recommending that the Jasig be given its due operative effect to prod the peace negotiations forward .
“We hope that under Speaker Belmonte’s leadership, the House of Representatives will take a definitive and institutional stand for the resumption of peace negotiations,” said Gabriela Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan who authored the resolutions with De Jesus.
She also said the government “should initiate goodwill through the release of political prisoners, especially those identified to be Jasig holders and consultants of the NDFP as well as those needing medical attention and the elderly.” (davaotoday.com)
