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Peace negotiator 'more hopeful' as government, rebels agree to restart talks

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Rowegie Abanto, ABS-CBN News

MANILA (2nd UPDATE) — Peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer on Wednesday said she is more optimistic about a possible resumption of peace talks between the government and the communist rebels, citing positive signals from both parties.Speaking on ANC, Coronel-Ferrer said among the reasons for hope is President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s management style, which allows his alter egos to do their jobs with less interference. Marcos &quot;is not as volatile in terms of disposition as the previous president, not as sort of like resorting to violence, verbally, as well as in actual terms as the previous president,&quot; she said.Malacañang on Tuesday said the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) agreed to resume peace negotiations to end one of the longest-running insurgencies in the world.The two parties have met informally since 2022 in the Netherlands and Norway for discussions facilitated by the Norwegian government. They reached a consensus on Nov. 23, 2023, according to the Presidential Communications Office.Both sides &quot;acknowledge the deep-rooted socioeconomic and political grievances and agree to come up with a framework that sets the priorities for the peace negotiation.&quot; <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/28/23/govt-ndfp-agree-to-resume-peace-talks">Gov&#x27;t, communist rebels agree to resume peace talks</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/24/23/marcos-grants-amnesty-to-former-rebels">Marcos grants amnesty to former rebels &#x27;to foster lasting peace&#x27;</a></li></ul><div>PARADIGM SHIFT</div>Coronel-Ferrer said the NDFP communique mentioned a &quot;transformation&quot; of the New People&#x27;s Army, the group&#x27;s military wing. &quot;That&#x27;s very important because now it does look like they are already imagining a possible transformation. Of course, it doesn&#x27;t mean that they have that framework in mind before, but to put it in that statement to agree on a process of transformation although it was not spelled out — transformation into what, right?&quot; she said.Some rebel groups that have signed final peace agreements with the government have transitioned into parliamentary politics.The Moro Islamic Liberation Front, for example, organized the United Bangsamoro Justice Party in 2014 to participate in local elections.Joseph Stephen Paduano, a former commander of the Revolutionary Proletarian Army-Alex Boncayao Brigade, is currently a member of the House of Representatives under Abang Likod party-list.&quot;Then there&#x27;s probably that kind of moving towards something that is really more permanent and not just a process where [they] use peace negotiations to support the armed struggle,&quot; Coronel-Ferrer, a Magsaysay awardee, said.Coronel-Ferrer — the Philippines&#x27; main negotiator in the peace talks with the MILF— noted that no political negotiations could prosper when there is a lack of paradigm shift within the government and the CPP-NPA.<div>ROMUALDEZ: NO STOPPING PEACE TALKS</div>House Speaker Martin Romualdez also expressed his optimism that there won&#x27;t be any roadblocks to the resumption of peace talks.&quot;Umaasa ako na walang anumang kondisyon na magpapatigil sa usapang pangkapayapaan. Hindi dapat mawalan ng loob ang dalawang panig anuman ang balakid na haharapin nila sa negosasyon,&quot; Romualdez said in a statement.He also lauded the &quot;brave move&quot; of Marcos, his cousin, to return to the peace table, calling it an important step towards a peaceful, united and progressive nation.Romualdez urged Filipinos to support the peace process.<div>TEODORO TEMPERS HOPE ON PEACE TALKS</div>Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said there were no formal peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front yet, and that such negotiations hinge on several factors. Speaking to reporters in Clark Freeport in Pampanga, Teodoro cautioned against premature pronouncements of an impending peace deal that would end the longest running communist insurgency in the world. &quot;That is not the correct situation. There are no formal peace talks and people reacting to it are jumping the gun,&quot; Teodoro said. With no formal mechanisms or even a framework in place, he said the initial consensus to resume talks would not hinder or put a stop to military operations against communist rebels in the country. &quot;The AFP will continue law enforcement operations,&quot; he said.In a statement on Tuesday, National Democratic Front of the Philippines executive council member Luis Jalandoni said the new joint communique &quot;reaffirms the imperative and value of peace negotiations for a principled and honorable political settlement of the armed conflict.&quot;The Communist Party of the Philippines meanwhile called it &quot;a first half-step in the long march leading to the resumption of formal peace negotiations, and in the even longer road of achieving the people’s aspiration for a just and lasting peace.&quot;The ongoing armed struggle, launched in 1969, grew out of the global communist movement, finding fertile soil in the Philippines&#x27; stark rich-poor divide.At its peak in the 1980s, the group boasted about 26,000 fighters, a number the military says has now dwindled to a few thousand.Since 1986, successive Philippine administrations have held peace talks with the communists through the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.The 2016 election of former president Rodrigo Duterte — a self-declared socialist — brought a burst of optimism for peace talks.But the talks later devolved into threats and recrimination, with Duterte officially cutting them off in 2017, declaring the group a terrorist organization and accusing them of killing police and soldiers while negotiations were underway.In recent years, the government has claimed that hundreds of communist rebels have surrendered in exchange for financial assistance and livelihood opportunities.Last week, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. issued proclamations granting amnesty to former rebels. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/09/12/23/miriam-coronel-ferrer-shares-triumphs-struggles-of-being-a-woman-peace-negotiator">Miriam Coronel-Ferrer shares triumphs, struggles of being a woman peace negotiator</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/31/23/pinoy-peace-negotiator-among-2023-ramon-magsaysay-awardees">Pinoy peace negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer among 2023 Ramon Magsaysay awardees</a></li></ul><div>— With a report from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News and Agence France-Presse </div>

Miriam Coronel-Ferrer is more optimistic about a possible resumption of peace talks between the government and the communist rebels. 

Peace negotiator 'more hopeful' as government, rebels agree to restart talks

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Peace negotiator 'more hopeful' as government, rebels agree to restart talks

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News

Published November 29, 2023 10:55 AM PHT

|

Updated November 29, 2023 05:28 PM PHT

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Miriam Coronel Ferrer

NDFP

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New People's Army

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