The NDFP Perspective on the Peace Negotiations
Despite the increasing obstacles put up by the Manila government and by the US, the NDFP is determined to pursue the peace negotiations and insist that comprehensive agreements on social, economic and political reforms must be negotiated and reached in order to lay the basis for a just and lasting peace.
Despite the painful attacks on my fundamental human rights, such as the denial of residence to me even as I am a recognized political refugee since 1992 and I have the right to family union, and despite the attempts to assassinate me in 1999 and 2000, the “terrorist” listing of my name, the curtailment of my basic rights and termination of my social benefits since 2002 and my arrest and detention on trumped up charges of murder in 2007, I continue to work earnestly for the peace negotiations in my capacity as chief political consultant of the NDFP Negotiating Panel.
I do not carry any rancor that prevents me from participating in the peace negotiations, especially because I have won my cases in court against the trumped up charges of murder and the terrorist blacklisting. But I admonish my powerful detractors not to use blackmail and dirty tricks to pressure the NDFP or any one to yield to the scheme of capitulation and pacification in the form of an indefinite ceasefire agreement that puts away serious negotiations on basic social, economic and political reforms.
The Manila government should retract its previous request to the US and other governments to designate and list the CPP, NPA and the NDFP chief political consultant as “terrorists”. It should stop making servile, silly and shameless pronouncements that the foreign governments have the sovereign right to claim jurisdiction over Philippine entities and their activities within the Philippines.
It is best for the contending and negotiating parties to concentrate on serious negotiations and arrive at agreements that are beneficial to the entire Filipino people. The NDFP has proven that it is capable of forging with the Manila government the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law. It is truly desirous of forging with the other side the series of comprehensive agreements on social and economic reforms, on political and constitutional reforms and on the end of hostilities and disposition of forces.
The Manila government must cease to use the demand for an indefinite ceasefire by way of effecting the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces and people represented by the NDFP in the peace negotiations. The end of hostilities is properly the subject of negotiation under the last item of the substantive agenda. This last item should not be used to put aside the prior negotiations of social, economic and political reforms.
However, the NDFP has proposed a truce and alliance on the basis of a declaration of common intent to adopt and implement policies to advance national independence, democracy, economic development through national industrialization and land reform, social justice, a patriotic, scientific and democratic culture and an independent foreign policy for world peace and development.
The agreement on truce and alliance based on a general declaration of common intent can be forged immediately on a special track , without prejudice to the regular track of negotiating comprehensive and more detailed agreements on social and economic reforms and on political and constitutional reforms. But so far, the Aquino regime has not demonstrated any political will beyond seeking the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces and people mainly through the US-designed Oplan Bayanihan and secondarily through sham peace negotiations.
The NDFP estimates that the worsening crisis of the world capitalist system and the domestic ruling system, the further strengthening of the revolutionary forces and people and the ceaseless appeal of peace advocates for serious substantive negotiations can persuade the current Aquino regime or any of the succeeding regimes of the Manila government to negotiate seriously with the NDFP and forge the necessary agreements on social, economic and political reforms in order to pave the way for a just and lasting peace. In any case, the people decide the question of peace by their own will and struggle.