Religious groups hope peace talks would resume

By JIGGER J. JERUSALEM
Correspondent

RELIGIOUS leaders here and elsewhere yesterday expressed their optimism about the revival of the peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front following the announcement of President Duterte about a plan to resume talks with communist rebel leaders.

“We are glad that peace still has a place in the President’s heart, and we are happy for that,” said Bishop Felixberto Calang of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente and convenor of the Sowing the Seeds of Peace in Mindanao.

But Calang said Duterte should call the shots as far as the government is concerned so as not to muddle the process.

“Let him (Duterte) decide what is best. The advisers are just there to advise, but the final say is with him,” said Calang, adding that it is a political matter “that must be decided by the civilian authorities” and not by the military.

In a statement, the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (Pepp) welcomed Duterte’s pronouncement saying that the group supports “a peace that is not won by the barrel of a gun, nor by demonizing the enemy, but through constructive dialogue. This is through the pursuit of a peace agreement that is mutually acceptable and will address the root causes of the longest-running armed conflict in Asia to date.”

During the three-day 8th Ecumenical Church Leaders’ Summit on Peace organized by Pepp on Friday, the group has reiterated its call for the resumption of the negotiations “to address the roots of the armed conflict.”

In a statement, Pepp urged the government and NDF to work for the signing and approval of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic reforms (Caser) and for the declaration of the bilateral ceasefire agreement.

The religious leaders have also urged the government to release political detainees including NDF peace consultants on humanitarian grounds and for the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, and NDF to release their prisoners of war as well.

In addition, the Pepp instructed “faith communities to expand the effort to conduct creative activities (formal and non-formal education, both in public and private schools) and dialogue under the banner of Pepp, and to further broaden the support for the resumption of the GRP-NDFP formal peace talks.

“We vow to continue to use our faith resources and moral leadership to further expand the work of Pepp throughout the Philippines. We will not stop and we will break the walls among religions and build bridges instead,” the group said.

The Pepp statement was signed by Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, co-chairperson; The Right Reverend Rex Reyes Jr, co-chairperson; Bishop Noel Pantoja, national president of the Philippine Council of Evangelical Churches; Bishop Diogracias Iniguez Jr., co-chairperson of the Ecumenical Bishop’s Forum (EBF); and Sr. Mary John Mananzan of the Women and Gender Commission, Association of Major Religious Superiors in the Philippines.

The Pepp is a platform for five church institutions and groups, namely, the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines, National Council of Churches in the Philippines, PCEC, AMRSP, and EBF, in working for a just and enduring peace by supporting the peace process between the government and NDF.

Meanwhile, the human rights watchdog Karapatan remained cautious even as it noted what it called the state’s continuing crackdown on civilians critical of the Duterte administration.
“Karapatan expresses its support for the possible resumption of the peace negotiations between the [government] and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines,” said Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary-general.

A few months after Duterte announced the peace talks with the NDFP to be dead, he instructed Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III last week to reach out to the exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founder and leader Jose Ma. Sison who is based in The Netherlands purposely to bring back the negotiations to the table.

“We support earnest endeavors at attaining peace and resolving the roots of the armed conflict. Likewise, the sincerity in pursuing the talks is inevitably linked to the release of all political prisoners in the country, as an issue of justice,” Palabay said.

Karapatan noted that of the 629 political prisoners in the country, 382 – or more than half of that number – were arrested under the administration of Duterte.

The group said political prisoners are victims of illegal arrests and detention, planting of evidence, torture, and trumped-up charges because of their activism and political beliefs.

Palabay said that alongside the continued detention and targeting of NDF peace consultants, Duterte established the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, created under Duterte’s Executive Order No. 70, which, she said, “instigated a witch-hunt spree against the political dissenters and activists.”

“It is imperative to be cautious when pronouncements like this are fed into the public, especially when the policies and reality on the ground do not match alluring promises,” Palabay said.

However, she added, “We will always welcome the thrust to continue the peace negotiations and call for the release of all political prisoners. This should be accompanied by the junking of EO 70, the withdrawal of anti-people policies, the reaffirmation of the Carhrihl and Jasig, and the release of political prisoners.”

Carhrihl refers to the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law while Jasig is the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.

Palabay said political detainees should be immediately released in line with the government’s obligations.

“These agreements should foremost be reaffirmed by both parties,” she said.
Palabay said the objectives of the negotiations could only be realized “if the militarist voices are drowned out and militarist policies are withdrawn and junked.”

Among the conditions set by Duterte before any round of peace talks could start is that it should be conducted in the country and the possible declaration of the bilateral ceasefire, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said in interviews.