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

OPAPP: Statement of the GRP Panel Chair Sec. Silvestre H. Bello III on the NDF’s Readiness to Sign a Bilateral Ceasefire Agreement

I welcome the statement of Mr. Luis Jalandoni on the readiness of the National Democratic Front to sign a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the government even before the release of the political prisoners.

The willingness of the NDF to sign the bilateral ceasefire agreement is indeed a welcome development as this bodes well to a positive atmosphere when we meet again for the third round of talks in January. 

A bilateral ceasefire would not only benefit the combatants but the people who are caught in the crossfire of this armed conflict. 

The GRP panel further recognizes the NDF’s efforts to work with us to attain peace. Its declaration of an indefinite unilateral ceasefire in response to President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration in August is unprecedented and historic. Agreeing to a bilateral ceasefire is another milestone in the peace process. 

Both panels have never set preconditions since the start of the negotiations under this administration. Despite the challenges, we continue to struggle to make peace happen for the country and the Filipino people.  

Rest assured that the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte remains committed to the release of a substantial number of political prisoners. The President has already shown time and again that he delivers on his word. 

Forging a bilateral ceasefire agreement is the best gift the government and the NDF can give to the Filipino people this holiday season. May this lead to the permanent end of hostilities for the new year leading to a just and lasting peace. ###

12 December 2016

OPAPP: Rody tells gov’t panel: No ceasefire, no release

President Rodrigo Duterte has given instructions to Labor Secretary and government chief peace negotiator Silvestre ‘Bebot’ Bello III and panel member Angela Librado-Trinidad to produce a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement before he will order a substantial release of detained communist rebels.

“Produce to me a signed bilateral ceasefire agreement and I will release them within 48 hours.  You can take my word for it,” Bello quoted the president as saying.

The president later told Malacanang Palace employees that the government has already conceded far enough to the National Democratic Front.

But he also promised to release a number of elderly and sick detained rebels before Christmas Day.

“The president told us that once he receives even just a facsimile copy of the signed agreement, he will immediately order the release of communist rebels,” Bello likewise said.

Bello and Librado sought instructions from Malacanang after the president met with top rebel leaders Benito and William Tiamzon in Davao City on Friday evening.

In that meeting, the president said he would keep his campaign promise to release detained communist rebels.

The president, however, gave his latest instructions during the break of the cabinet meeting at the Palace Monday evening.

The government panel holding peace talks with the NDF has submitted a list of 200 prisoners who are eligible for release under the new guidelines of the Presidential Committee on Bail, Recognizance and Parole (PCBREP).  

Twenty-five (25) of them are elderly, sick and women.

The NDF claimed 434 rebels are still being held in different detentions all over the country.

Four rebels convicted for murder and kidnapping were already given presidential pardon as announced by the Secretary Bello Friday last week.

They were identified as Martin Villanueva, Bonifacio Suyon, Dindo Absalon and Rico Bodina.  They have served sentence ranging from 18 to 26 years.  All are farmers.

Ceasefire

Although both the government and the NDF have declared their own unilateral ceasefires, the two camps have been complaining of reports of violations from the field.

But Bello said until both panels agree to a set of guidelines, “there are technically no violations.”

The labor secretary said it is to the best interest of combatants from both sides and especially the civilians caught in the middle of the armed conflict that a “formal ceasefire is in place so that we can monitor any claims of violations.”

“Remember, one life saved is one more happy family,” the government chief negotiator said.  

During the formal opening round of the peace negotiations, both the GRP and NDF panels agreed to submit drafts on bilateral ceasefire.

But the NDF later said the ceasefire is tied to the release of ‘political prisoners’.

President Duterte earlier ordered the release of 21 rebel leaders who now are acting as consultants of the NDF panel holding peace talks with the government.

The president made a campaign promise to reopen peace negotiations with the NDF, which is representing the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing the New People’s Army (NPA).

The Philippine government and the NDF will resume formal peace talks in January, possibly in Rome, Italy.

“The weather is a bit better in Rome than in Oslo, Norway,” Bello cited the reason for the change of talks’ venue.

The first two rounds of formal peace negotiations with the NDF under the Duterte administration were held in Norway whose government is facilitating the talks to put an end to nearly 50 years of armed rebellion in the Philippines.

The guerrilla war being waged by the CPP-NPA-NDF is now Asia’s longest running active insurgency movement. ###

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

Pope's UN call for end to armed conflicts echoes message of support for Mindanao peace deal during PH trip

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Mastura to file motion at SC in defense of the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro

The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process announced that Datu Mike Mastura will file before the Supreme Court an Urgent Omnibus Motion for Leave to intervene and to admit comment-in-intervention in defense of the Framework Agreeement on the Bangsamoro/Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro which are both challenged by PHILConsa and four other petitioners as unconstitutional, on Wednesday, September 30, 2015 at 9:30 AM at Supreme Court, Padre Faura, Manila.

A press conference will follow right after  (approximately 10:30 am)  at Max's Restaurant fronting the Court of Appeals. 

OPAPP
28 September 2015 

PAGASA is MBC's fourth top-performing government agency

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration or PAGASA, one of the agencies under the Department of Science and Technology, is one of the top 5 best performing government agencies and offices in the country, according to a survey by the Makati Business Club (MBC).

This was announced in a press statement issued by the MBC last August 11, 2014.

MBC’s Second Semester Executive Outlook Survey, conducted from July 1-25, 2014, rated the performance of 62 government agencies and offices for the period July 2013-July 2014. Out of these 62 agencies, 43 garnered positive net satisfaction ratings from MBC members composed of senior business executives from the Philippines’ largest corporations. 

PAGASA joins this list of top performers for the first time, posting a score of 72.3 to claim the fourth spot overall.  Of those surveyed, 84.6 percent said they were satisfied with the weather bureau’s performance while 12.3 percent claimed they were not satisfied.

MBC cited the country’s official weather bureau in particular, for its improvement in disseminating accurate weather forecasts to the public.

PAGASA was among those who debuted in the business scorecard in impressive fashion.

The circle of 5 best performing government agencies also includes the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas which is the frontrunner in the list, Department of Tourism which ranks second, Philippine Economic Zone Authority which ranks third, and the Securities and Exchange Commission on fifth spot.

Rounding up the top 10 list are the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Health, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, Department of Finance, and the Philippine Statistics Authority.

Founded in 1981, MBC is committed in the promotion of the business sector’s role in national development and in addressing social and economic issues affecting the Philippines.  (S&T Media Service)