By Hannah Torregoza
If done in the Philippines, negotiations with members of the Communist Party of the Philippines/New Peoples’ Army (CPP-NPA) would give the peace talks more legitimacy and transparency.
Senator JV Ejercito
(Tony Pionilla / MANILA BULLETIN) Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito pointed this out as he expressed support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s position that the peace talks be held in the country. “I support the position of the President that the venue of the peace talks between the government and the CPP should be in the Philippines,” Ejercito said in a statement. “If one of the goals of the peace talks is to attain unity and reconciliation, what better way to demonstrate this than having the negotiations here in our own country,” Ejercito stressed. “I also believe that having the negotiations here will give the talks more legitimacy, transparency, and urgency in resolving the decades-long conflict,” the senator added. Duterte, in his speech during the 81st anniversary of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Pasay City, slammed exiled CPP founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison for saying the talks are doomed if done in Manila. The President has earlier expressed readiness to shoulder the cost of their travel expenses should they decided to come home for the negotiation. “Why should I talk outside? I’m talking about our country, my country, their country and they want to take over, overthrow government. And why do we have to talk the f***ing thing outside?” Duterte had said in his speech. In the past, the government’s peace talks with the Reds have been done in Norway. The government of Norway had served as third-party facilitator in the peace negotiations. Ejercito agreed with Duterte saying that if the government has already given assurance it will make sure Sison and his party will be able to arrive safely in the country, he sees no reason for the peace talks not to take place in Manila. “Government has already assured the CPP and its leaders that they will be given security so there is no compelling reason to insist on a foreign country as venue for the talks,” Ejercito said. Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, likewise, reiterated his support to the President’s position that the talks be held in the Philippines. “We are all Filipinos anyway, and this problem is our own problem, so it makes sense that the venue of the peace talks is here in the country,” Drilon said in a recent interview.
Senator JV Ejercito(Tony Pionilla / MANILA BULLETIN) Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito pointed this out as he expressed support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s position that the peace talks be held in the country. “I support the position of the President that the venue of the peace talks between the government and the CPP should be in the Philippines,” Ejercito said in a statement. “If one of the goals of the peace talks is to attain unity and reconciliation, what better way to demonstrate this than having the negotiations here in our own country,” Ejercito stressed. “I also believe that having the negotiations here will give the talks more legitimacy, transparency, and urgency in resolving the decades-long conflict,” the senator added. Duterte, in his speech during the 81st anniversary of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Pasay City, slammed exiled CPP founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison for saying the talks are doomed if done in Manila. The President has earlier expressed readiness to shoulder the cost of their travel expenses should they decided to come home for the negotiation. “Why should I talk outside? I’m talking about our country, my country, their country and they want to take over, overthrow government. And why do we have to talk the f***ing thing outside?” Duterte had said in his speech. In the past, the government’s peace talks with the Reds have been done in Norway. The government of Norway had served as third-party facilitator in the peace negotiations. Ejercito agreed with Duterte saying that if the government has already given assurance it will make sure Sison and his party will be able to arrive safely in the country, he sees no reason for the peace talks not to take place in Manila. “Government has already assured the CPP and its leaders that they will be given security so there is no compelling reason to insist on a foreign country as venue for the talks,” Ejercito said. Senate minority leader Franklin Drilon, likewise, reiterated his support to the President’s position that the talks be held in the Philippines. “We are all Filipinos anyway, and this problem is our own problem, so it makes sense that the venue of the peace talks is here in the country,” Drilon said in a recent interview.