House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro welcomed the call for the resumption of peace negotiations between the government and the communist movement as well as a stop to red-tagging.
In a statement, Castro backed the proposal of Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda who expressed hopes that the peace talks between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front would be revived.
Legarda made the suggestion as a reaction to the call of her colleagues to force government officials to disclose family members who are members of “terrorist organizations.”
She said that “believing in an ideology which may be different for the majority does not make anyone subversive.”
Legarda also expressed hopes that the peace talks can be revived “so that equity, peace, and real reforms in the countryside can ensue.”
“I support Senator Loren Legarda’s call for the resumption of peace talks, especially as the Comprehensive Agreement on Social Economic Reforms is next on the agenda and so that the common goal of addressing poverty and attaining just and lasting peace can be realized,” Castro said.
Castro added “to genuinely address the roots of armed conflict and achieve social justice, both parties should pick up where they left off and respect the previous agreements, such as the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, both signed during the term of the late President Fidel Ramos.”
The ACT Teachers nominee stressed peace negotiations must continue so that further binding commitments towards socio-economic and political reforms will be inked and implemented.
“I also thumb down Senator Tolentino’s proposal to force government officials and employees to disclose family members who are ‘members of terrorist organizations’. This proposal violates laws protecting the data privacy of the people, since it asks government officials and employees to disclose information that is not related to their job description.”
She also stressed “red tagging individuals and organizations just for believing in certain ideologies and philosophies and in effect oppressing a group of people only creates greater conflict and delays the attainment of peace” must stop.