AQUINO WILL ONLY MEET JALANDONI AFTER PEACE TALKS ARE OVER
MANILA, DECEMBER 7, 2010 (STAR) By Delon Porcalla - President Aquino will only meet National Democratic Front (NDF) chairman Luis Jalandoni at the right moment when the peace talks with the communist rebels have been finalized, Malacañang said yesterday.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Jalandoni should be content with the two-week safe conduct pass and enjoy the holidays with his family in the country.
"The President had said that it would be more appropriate if they would meet when the peace agreement would be signed," Valte said.
"I have not heard of any further moves from Mr. Jalandoni to meet the President," she said.
The government has assured Jalandoni and his wife Ma. Consuelo Ledesma, along with the rebel negotiators and their staff, of safe passage under the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) in an effort to "improve the atmosphere" before the peace talks.
"He (Jalandoni) is here for a two-week vacation. As a result of the informal talks, the government gave him safe conduct pass. This is a sign of good faith of our government in negotiating with the NDF," Valte said.
Valte though would not elaborate on the details of the peace talks with the communist rebels. The NDF is representing the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) in the peace talks with the Philippine government in Oslo, Norway.
Valte said Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Teresita Deles and government chief peace negotiator Alexander Padilla would provide the details and information on the progress of the peace talks.
Padilla on Friday announced the agreement with Jalandoni to hold informal talks on the mechanisms for the formal resumption of the peace talks tentatively set in Norway.
Both panels agreed to implement the ceasefire from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3, 2011, during which the two sides will meet to discuss the parameters of the formal peace talks in February.
Jalandoni, who has been in exile along with CPP founder Jose Ma. Sison in the Netherlands, arrived home for the holidays on Saturday, a day after the ceasefire agreement was announced.
Former President Fidel Ramos said he was hoping that the NDF and the government would be able to find a middle ground for a final peace agreement that would end the decades-old armed conflict.
Ramos said the move to allow Jalandoni to come home could augur well for the peace negotiations ahead of the founding anniversary of the CPP on Dec. 26.
"It is a very important offer for the other side to respect also," he said.
Ramos said the developments are "a good sign to restart the peace process."
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, for his part, lashed at the NDF for imposing pre-conditions to the government for the peace talks to continue.
Enrile referred particularly to the demand of Jalandoni that the Philippines should not cling to the agreement with the United States on the Visiting Forcers Agreement (VFA).
"We will have to choose between (Jose Ma.) Sison and our national security," Enrile said.
"If they are serious in pursuing the peace talks then they should not make any pre-conditions. They (should) listen to our Philippine negotiator and we will listen to them," he said.
Enrile said the communist rebels cannot adopt a Marxist point of view, which the CPP has been espousing.
He said countries such as Vietnam and China had chosen to open up by accepting the US as their trading partners.
If the NDF will insist that the Philippines turn its back on the United States as an ally, Enrile said he would just ask the NDF to "go to hell."
Enrile said the NDF can set conditions to free political prisoners, which can be part of a goodwill gesture from the government.
"That's fine. But the questions are: Are they willing to give up their firearms? Are they willing to dismantle their New People's Army? Peacefully?" he asked.
Malacañang said they are expecting the communist rebels to negotiate peace in good faith without using the ceasefire period as an opportunity to strengthen their forces.
Apart from agreeing to a ceasefire, officials said the government had shown good faith also by lifting the hold departure order and arrest against Jalandoni to allow him to negotiate freely in behalf of the CPP-NPA.
Valte said the ceasefire agreement is a good development, which must not be exploited to allow the formal peace talks to finally resume.
Following the announcement of the truce, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) declared the suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) against the NPA during the ceasefire period.
The AFP though clarified the SOMO will not preclude the troops from acting in self-defense and protecting communities in the countryside from armed threats.
AFP chief Gen. Ricardo David said the SOMO is a gesture of good faith on the part of the military to allow the peace talks to continue and to finally end the decades-old insurgency.
The military will also monitor the national threat board by stepping up its intelligence gathering on the rebels.
"We have to enhance intelligence monitoring to preempt any violation of the truce... intelligence (operations) should be proactive," Army spokesman Col. Antonio Parlade Jr. said.
Parlade said they will continue to be vigilant even if they are optimistic that the insurgents would respect the 19-day ceasefire.
"That is part of the SOP (standard operating procedure). We should maintain our guard. Our vigilance will continue. Security measures are in place," he said.
Parlade, however, expressed belief that the CPP-NPA would comply with the ceasefire agreement.
"I think they (rebels) will (comply with the truce). I think they have the intention of attaining peace. Many of them want to be with their families," he said. – With Alexis Romero, Rudy Santos and Christina Mendez
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