A party-list group called the Makabayan Bloc in the House of Representatives has drafted a resolution seeking the resumption of the peace talks between the government and the communist insurgency political wing National Democratic Front (NDF).
The group led by ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro urged the Marcos administration to pursue the stalled peace talks based on previous agreements between the two parties, including The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992 and the Stand-Down Agreement on June 28th.
The peace negotiations have gained milestone agreements since 1992. Ironically, the GRP and NDFP panels were set to formally sign a number of agreements, important components of an aspired-for Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reform (CASER) that would address the causes of the armed conflict, when President Duterte unilaterally “terminated” the peace talks in November 2017, the resolution stated.
These include common drafts of an agreement on land reform and rural development and on national industrialization and economic development. These are the gist of the negotiations and would start to address the roots of the conflict,” Castro added.
“The breakthroughs in the peace negotiations have generated much support among our people, including members of Congress,” she added.
She recalled House Resolution 636 in the 18th Congress calling for the resumption of the peace talks under the past administration, but it did not prosper.
Castro said the peace talks will address “glaring inequalities present in Philippine society.” “If these are not addressed, then it will only worsen until the present oppressive and exploitative system is replaced by a more just and humane one.”
The draft resolution came a few days after Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, who launched one of the world’s longest-running Maoist insurgencies, died at 83 while on self-imposed exile in the Netherlands.
The former university professor went to the Netherlands after the collapse of the peace talks in 1987 when the rebellion that has claimed tens of thousands of lives was at its peak.