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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider 'For unity': Makabayan solon makes case for reopening peace talks under Marcos

'For unity': Makabayan solon makes case for reopening peace talks under Marcos

Published Dec 28, 2022 11:30 am

A Makabayan bloc member in the House of Representatives is prodding President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to reopen peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. and

ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro made this call a few days after the passing of Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Castro said that going back to the peace table is will help address the "inequalities plaguing the Philippines", which in turn, she claimed, would help achieve Marcos's "wish for unity in the country".

"One way to comprehensively do this (addressing inequalities) is to reopen the peace negotiations between the Government of the Philippines (GRP) and the NDFP and start from where it left off," said the teacher-solon.

Unity was the campaign catchword of Marcos leading up to the May 2022 national elections.

The NDFP is the negotiating arm of the CPP, which, along with military unit New People’s Army (NPA) are considered terrorists by the Philippine government.

"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 root causes of the armed conflict, when President Duterte unilaterally 'terminated' the peace talks in November 2017," Castro said.

"These include already initialed 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," she added.

"The breakthroughs in the peace negotiations have generated much support among our people, including members of Congress. In fact, House Resolution (HR) 636 in the 18th Congress calling for the resumption of the peace talks -- after Duterte first cancelled them in 2017 due to the sabotage by the militarists and opponents of basic socio-economic and political reforms -- garnered the support of more than 130 members of the House of Representatives," noted Castro, who is a House deputy minority leader.

Related Tags

unity Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos jr. act teachers party-list Peace talks cpp NDFP 122822 peace negotiations jose Maria joma sison Makabayan npa FRANCE CASTRO
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