The resumption of the peace negotiations by the government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) offers an “acceptable closure” for both parties after decades of fighting, National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Ano said on Tuesday, Nov. 28.
Ano said that the National Security Council (NSC) aims to eliminate all threats to national security, including that of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA), and NDFP.
“For more than five decades the CPP-NPA has been there. I think it’s about time we have closure, closure that is acceptable to everybody, to Filipino people,” he said.
The top security adviser said that history has been a testament to the effectiveness of peace negotiations in ending conflicts around the world.
“All conflicts end in settlement. Look at the history of the world, all of the wars ended with negotiations with the government. Maybe this is the final agreement that we can come into to end the armed struggle,” Ano said.
Meanwhile, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippine (AFP), said the GRP and NDFP’s return to peace negotiation was viewed as a “success” in the efforts to put an end to conflict between military forces and communist rebels.
“A lot of troops have been killed by the New People’s Army that’s why this is a personal victory for all of us,” he said.
He said that all of the remaining guerilla fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF are expected to be disbanded by the end of the year. (Trixee Rosel)