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By Prince Golez, Manila Reporting
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Monday, March 13, 2017
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New People’s Army’s new regional rebel commander and spokesman Jaime Padilla (center), who uses the nom de guerre Comrade Diego, walks with young guerrillas after having their photos taken at their rebel encampment tucked in the harsh wilderness of the Sierra Madre Mountains. AP
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MANILA – The Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have decided to go back to the negotiating table.
The fourth round of the peace negotiations will resume in the first week of April.
In a two-page joint statement issued on March 11 in Utrecht, Netherlands, the parties announced they agreed on six points.
“The Parties shall continue the formal peace talks and reiterate their reaffirming of all bilateral agreements and statements made in the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations, including The Hague Joint Declaration, the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law,” it stated.
Both parties also committed to reinstate their respective unilateral ceasefire declarations effective before the scheduled fourth round of talks in April.
The joint statement also articulated the release of rearrested National Democratic Front consultants and the extended reinstatement of their bail.
“The GRP shall ensure the participation of the four detained consultants in the fourth round of the peace talks and thereafter. The GRP shall exert best efforts to release them before the start of the said round. The GRP shall also work for the release of 19 political prisoners based on humanitarian or other grounds on or before the said round of talks.”
President Rodrigo Duterte lifted the government’s unilateral ceasefire in February because of the attacks against the soldiers and the demand to release 400 political prisoners.
The Utrecht statement was signed by GRP negotiators Sec. Silvestre Bello III and Hernani Braganza, as well as Fidel Agcaoili and Benito Tiamzon of the NDFP panel.
Other signatories were chief presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza, NDF chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison, Atty. Efren Moncupa, Wilma Austria Tiamzon, Francisco Lara, and Vicente Ladlad.
Elisabeth Slattum served as Third Party Facilitator for the Royal Norwegian Government./PN
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