MANILA — The public deserves to know various provisions contained in any peace agreement done with the rebels.
This is the reason why the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) supports the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to postpone the resumption of the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) which was scheduled for June 28.
AFP spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo said this move is in line with efforts to provide the public more opportunities to engage in the peace process.
“Let us remember that any peace agreement that government enters into especially with group like the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army) that continues to sow chaos in the countryside needs to be acceptable to the people, peace is a public concern, the public deserves to know what are the provisions or the matters contained in every agreement, because this group, the CPP-NPA burns farm implement, they continue to extort huge amounts of money from businesses and they harassed the communities,”Arevalo noted.
The AFP spokesperson added that the President’s move will give more time for the consultation of the public on the items arrived at by the parties during the back-channel talk.
“(With this), we ensure that the substance of the talks has the support of the people. And we are not only one, we are not alone in supporting that decision of the President, even Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, the Secretary of the Department of National Defense, even the Presidential Adviser (for the Peace Process) Secretary Jesus Dureza, they all support this decision of the President. Even Senate minority floor leader Sen. Franklin Drilon supported the President and even went on by saying that it is high time that the peace talks be held in our soil, because (it would establish that) the CPP-NPA (is dealing with) the Government of the Philippines,” Arevalo said. (Priam Nepomuceno with reports from Jahziel Manalo, OJT/PNA)
