GPH-NDFP peace talks postponed

GPH-NDFP peace talks postponed

“The NDFP proposal to defer the talks of the Reciprocal Working Committees on Social and Economic Reforms (RWCs SER) and the Working Groups on Political and Constitutional Reforms (WGs PCR) scheduled in Oslo this month is meant to allow the GPH to comply with the Jasig.” – Luis Jalandoni
By RONALYN V. OLEA
Bulatlat.com
 
MANILA — The peace talks between the Government of the Philippines (GPH) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has been postponed.

In a letter dated June 2 addressed to GPH peace panel chairman Alexander Padilla, NDFP panel chairman Luis Jalandoni proposed the postponement of talks scheduled this month until such time that the NDFP consultants and other individuals protected by the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) are released.

The Joint Communique signed by both parties and witnessed by Ambassador Ture Lundh of the Royal Norwegian Government on 18 January 2011 in Oslo read: “The GPH Panel agreed to work for the expeditious release of detained NDFP consultants and other JASIG protected persons in compliance with the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig) and in the spirit of goodwill.”

As of June 8 (Manila time), Padilla has not responded to Jalandoni’s letter dated June 2 and to an earlier letter dated May 27, Jalandoni told Bulatlat through email. In his first letter, Jalandoni also followed up the GPH’s commitment to release detained NDFP consultants.

There are 17 NDFP consultants and Jasig-protected persons in different jails.

During his visit to Manila late last month, Fidel Agcaoili, NDFP panel vice chairman was asked by Padilla and Secretary Teresita Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) to stay until June 1. Padilla and Deles apparently assured Agcaoili that there would be an announcement of releases.
“We are deeply disappointed that no such announcement has been made by the GPH,” Jalandoni said.

In her statement posted at the OPAPP website, Deles said: “The resumption of the formal negotiations with the NDFP will focus on the remaining substantive agenda on: socio-economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms and end of hostilities and disposition of forces. To avoid unwarranted disruptions of the negotiations, the Parties also established side table mechanisms to review and address procedural and non-substantive issues such as JASIG implementation, the release of alleged political prisoners (APOs), and confidence-building and goodwill measures.”

Agcaoili took offense on the statement. “The Parties may create mechanisms to facilitate discussions on the full implementation of the JASIG. But such mechanisms do not relegate the full implementation of the JASIG to a side-table issue. The claim of Ms. Ging Deles is simply preposterous,” he said.

“Ms. Ging Deles should be reminded that the primary purposes of the JASIG are “to facilitate the peace negotiations, create a favorable atmosphere conducive to free discussion and movement during the peace negotiations, and avert any incident that may jeopardize the peace negotiations,” Agcaoili said..... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2011/06/10/gph-ndfp-peace-talks-postponed/