By LUIS G. JALANDONI
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel
Those who seek to help create conditions for a just peace, those who wish to address the roots of the armed conflicts in our country, have the right to talk with us and are most welcome to do so. Thus, we warmly welcomed Senator Maria Ana “Jamby” Madrigal as a senator and peace advocate to have cordial and frank conversations with us.
By LUIS G. JALANDONI
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel
Those who seek to help create conditions for a just peace, those who wish to address the roots of the armed conflicts in our country, have the right to talk with us and are most welcome to do so. Thus, we warmly welcomed Senator Maria Ana “Jamby” Madrigal as a senator and peace advocate to have cordial and frank conversations with us.
We have come to the conclusion with Senator Madrigal that “there is an urgent need to unify the Filipino people and solve the armed conflicts by addressing the social roots of these conflicts through fundamental economic, social and political reforms.”
We jointly declare that “the all-out war proclaimed by the Arroyo regime is not the answer but in fact will lead to further economic ruin and further escalate human rights violations and will create more internally displaced persons consisting mostly of women, elderly and children.”
In repudiation of the regime’s all-out war policy and “the extra-judicial killings and involuntary disappearances of political and left activists,” we call for the resumption of formal peace talks between the GRP and the NDFP as soon as possible.
The prejudicial question about the baseless and unjust “terrorist listing” of the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army, and the NDFP Chief Political Consultant, Professor Jose Ma. Sison, can be resolved by the GRP and the NDFP by asserting the national sovereignty of the Filipino people over Philippine events and circumstances, and taking into account the recent Supreme Court ruling that “acts of terrorism” do not exist in Philippine law and jurisprudence.
Since Mrs. Arroyo came to power, more than 690 extrajudicial killings and more than 180 involuntary disappearances have been committed. These must stop! These human rights violations are now a prejudicial question for the peace talks.
Unless the Arroyo regime wants to continue to be known as the butcher of democracy and political activists, it must issue an order to its military, police and paramilitary forces to cease and desist from these atrocities. General Palparan and others implicated in these violations must be investigated, charged and prosecuted. Their promotion is tantamount to licence to perpetrate more extrajudicial killings and involuntary disappearances.
Stop the killings! Resume formal peace talks directed at addressing the social roots of the armed conflicts!
