By KIT KAIMO
MANILA
- Government peace panel chair Alexander
Padilla reiterated his call to the public to “guard and support” the peace
negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s
Army/National Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF).
“Please put your ten-cents worth… bantayan niyo kami (watch over us). Make us honest at sabihin niyo rin iyon sa kanila (and tell it to the NDF too),” he said during the Forging Peace for Development forum held recently by the Rotary Clubs of District 3800 at the Ateneo Professional School in Makati.
Padilla added that “active participation and involvement” of the people are necessary for the negotiations to succeed.
“Unlike the MILF peace process, interest in the C/N/N (CPP/NPA/NDF) peace process is not as much – lacking in CSO (civil society organization) participation,” he said.
Former government chief negotiator Silvestre S. Bello III supported Padilla by saying “there must be consistency in this advocacy because the peace process needs support”.
“Mahirap na nakikita ng panel na sila lang ang interesado sa pakikipag-usap tungkol sa kapayapaan… kaya kailangan nila ng suporta (It is difficult for the peace panels to see that they are the only ones interested in negotiating for peace…that is why they need support),” he said.
Padilla said the panel recognized the challenges in the peace talks with the NDF, but they remain optimistic that a “final negotiated political settlement is desired to be completed and implemented” during the term of President Benigno Aquino III.
He said the contentious issue on the Joint Agreement on Securities and Guarantees (JASIG) remains the biggest challenge in the talks. An agreement between the government and NDF, the JASIG basically allows all those involved in peace negotiations to freely discuss and move without any threat of being arrested.
There have been arrests and the NDF claimed that those arrested are covered by the JASIG. To verify the assertions of the NDF, both panels agreed to open the sealed envelopes in a safety deposit box stored by the parties eight years ago in a bank in the Netherlands.
“The list did not contain actual photos of alleged NDF consultants using their aliases, but only diskettes allegedly containing photos. The diskettes could not be decrypted by the NDF,” Padilla related. “As a consequence, JASIG has become inoperative for those who are using their assumed names or aliases because of the failed verification process due to the NDF’s inability to put actual photos.”
However, Padilla noted that despite predicaments the “government stands committed” to the peace talks.
On a final note, Padilla said he believed that “the parties will forge peace when time comes.”
“Magkakasundo pa rin ang panels (the panels will come to an agreement) because there is no other choice. May iisang bansa pa rin tayo (we have only one country) and there is no other course than the course of peace” he said.
“Peace is the only way to go," Padilla concluded.
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GPH
Peace Panel for NDF
Talks
Alexander Padilla
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“Please put your ten-cents worth… bantayan niyo kami (watch over us). Make us honest at sabihin niyo rin iyon sa kanila (and tell it to the NDF too),” he said during the Forging Peace for Development forum held recently by the Rotary Clubs of District 3800 at the Ateneo Professional School in Makati.
Padilla added that “active participation and involvement” of the people are necessary for the negotiations to succeed.
“Unlike the MILF peace process, interest in the C/N/N (CPP/NPA/NDF) peace process is not as much – lacking in CSO (civil society organization) participation,” he said.
Former government chief negotiator Silvestre S. Bello III supported Padilla by saying “there must be consistency in this advocacy because the peace process needs support”.
“Mahirap na nakikita ng panel na sila lang ang interesado sa pakikipag-usap tungkol sa kapayapaan… kaya kailangan nila ng suporta (It is difficult for the peace panels to see that they are the only ones interested in negotiating for peace…that is why they need support),” he said.
Padilla said the panel recognized the challenges in the peace talks with the NDF, but they remain optimistic that a “final negotiated political settlement is desired to be completed and implemented” during the term of President Benigno Aquino III.
He said the contentious issue on the Joint Agreement on Securities and Guarantees (JASIG) remains the biggest challenge in the talks. An agreement between the government and NDF, the JASIG basically allows all those involved in peace negotiations to freely discuss and move without any threat of being arrested.
There have been arrests and the NDF claimed that those arrested are covered by the JASIG. To verify the assertions of the NDF, both panels agreed to open the sealed envelopes in a safety deposit box stored by the parties eight years ago in a bank in the Netherlands.
“The list did not contain actual photos of alleged NDF consultants using their aliases, but only diskettes allegedly containing photos. The diskettes could not be decrypted by the NDF,” Padilla related. “As a consequence, JASIG has become inoperative for those who are using their assumed names or aliases because of the failed verification process due to the NDF’s inability to put actual photos.”
However, Padilla noted that despite predicaments the “government stands committed” to the peace talks.
On a final note, Padilla said he believed that “the parties will forge peace when time comes.”
“Magkakasundo pa rin ang panels (the panels will come to an agreement) because there is no other choice. May iisang bansa pa rin tayo (we have only one country) and there is no other course than the course of peace” he said.
“Peace is the only way to go," Padilla concluded.
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