Statement of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza on CPP/NPA/NDF’s cancellation of unilateral ceasefire

We are dismayed with the announcement of New People's Army (NPA) spokesman Ka Oris withdrawing their unilateral ceasefire effective February 10.

This cancellation came just after some progress we made in the 3rd round of peace talks in Rome where negotiating panels from both sides agreed to further discuss a bilateral ceasefire in The Netherlands sometime end of this month. 

We respect their decision.

On the part of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), we will respectfully recommend to President Rodrigo R. Duterte that the government continues to maintain and uphold the unilateral ceasefire to sustain the peace in the communities where our people desire to live in peace. This will provide an enabling and conducive environment to the on-going peace talks. At the same, we will recommend that government forces continue to be relentless in their campaign to protect the civilians from harm and terrorism.

We agree that the situation, with various incidents on the ground, had become untenable to sustain without the guidelines and protocols that a bilateral ceasefire provides.

This gives more impetus and encouragement to our earnest task of forging a sustainable ceasefire agreement.

Despite these, however, we are still hopeful that the search for peace will continue and the tragedy of Filipinos fighting fellow Filipinos will come to an early end.

As we always stress, the road to peace is not easy to traverse. What is important is that we all stay the course. ###

1 February 2017

The Statement of Secretary Jess Dureza on the Releases of CPP/NPA/NDF Prisoners

Earnest efforts have been ongoing on the releases of prisoners. But necessary legal processes take a while as cases are within the jurisdiction of the judiciary, an independent & co-equal branch.

We understand their angst and impatience but we are all forgetting that these efforts were never possible nor even imaginable in the previous times. It is only in the Duterte administration that these releases are all happening.

We are appalled why some sectors are now even publicly attacking government for "not delivering enough" and for the perceived delay. Those mass actions and media attacks serve as good reminders for us in government that we need to do more. But putting undue public pressure on the government which has already taken unprecedented steps may not yield their intended results.

President Duterte has exercised bold political will to quickly resuscitate the peace process from where it was. And he does so also mindful that there is a need to balance things taking into account the processes that must be observed and the whole citizenry that he must also engage and serve.

As the President always says and does, this administration will walk the extra mile for peace. Yes, let's all be in a hurry but let's all keep the pace and be in step with him so we don't stumble.

JESS DUREZA

Secretary 

Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process

6 December 2016

Statement of the GPH Peace Panel Chair Secretary Silvestre Bello III on the recent NPA Ambush of Government troops in Davao del Norte

GPH Panel Chair Secretary Silvestre Bello III expressed sadness over the ambush yesterday of government troops by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sitio Patil, Barangay Gupitan, Davao del Norte.

“It is disheartening that the NPA failed to respect the unilateral ceasefire declared by President Duterte last Monday during the SONA. Barely two days after this ceasefire declaration, the NPA ambushed yesterday government forces killing one CAFGU member and wounding four others in Davao del Norte”.

Sec. Bello said that he confronted NDF Panel member Fidel Agcaoili on this tragic incident and he was informed that as far as he knows, the NPA is on active defense mode since July 26 as announced by Ka Oris.  He, however, promised Sec. Bello to look into the matter. The GPH Panel Chair said that government will await the results of NDF’s verification on the matter.  

Agcaoli further said that, just like PRRD, the NDFP is committed to resume the peace negotiations to address the roots of the armed conflict towards a just and lasting peace as reiterated in the 15 June 2016 Oslo Joint Statement that affirms all past agreements.

“I strongly reiterate the call of President Duterte to the CPP/NPA/NDF to reciprocate government’s ceasefire declaration in order to immediately stop violence on the ground, protect our communities from conflict, and provide an enabling environment for the resumption of formal peace negotiations”. 

Sec. Bello made this appeal and stressed that as both sides continue to undertake preparations for the re-starting of formal talks on August 20-27 in Oslo, it is best that the government’s ceasefire is reciprocated unconditionally by the NDF to build trust and confidence on the peace process and more importantly bring peace in our communities for the good of the people.

29 July 2016
OPAPP

Statement of the GPH Peace Panel Chair Secretary Silvestre Bello III on the recent NPA Ambush of Government troops in Davao del Norte

GPH Panel Chair Secretary Silvestre Bello III expressed sadness over the ambush yesterday of government troops by members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Sitio Patil, Barangay Gupitan, Davao del Norte.

“It is disheartening that the NPA failed to respect the unilateral ceasefire declared by President Duterte last Monday during the SONA. Barely two days after this ceasefire declaration, the NPA ambushed yesterday government forces killing one CAFGU member and wounding four others in Davao del Norte”.

Sec. Bello said that he confronted NDF Panel member Fidel Agcaoili on this tragic incident and he was informed that as far as he knows, the NPA is on active defense mode since July 26 as announced by Ka Oris.  He, however, promised Sec. Bello to look into the matter. The GPH Panel Chair said that government will await the results of NDF’s verification on the matter.  

Agcaoli further said that, just like PRRD, the NDFP is committed to resume the peace negotiations to address the roots of the armed conflict towards a just and lasting peace as reiterated in the 15 June 2016 Oslo Joint Statement that affirms all past agreements.

“I strongly reiterate the call of President Duterte to the CPP/NPA/NDF to reciprocate government’s ceasefire declaration in order to immediately stop violence on the ground, protect our communities from conflict, and provide an enabling environment for the resumption of formal peace negotiations”. 

Sec. Bello made this appeal and stressed that as both sides continue to undertake preparations for the re-starting of formal talks on August 20-27 in Oslo, it is best that the government’s ceasefire is reciprocated unconditionally by the NDF to build trust and confidence on the peace process and more importantly bring peace in our communities for the good of the people.