Dharel Placido
ABS-CBN News
Posted at Jun 29 2016 05:24 PM
http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/06/21/16/joma-sison-drug-lords-also-a-threat-to-peace-talks
DAVAO CITY – Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria “Joma” Sison wishes President-elect Rodrigo Duterte success in leading the Philippines.
In a video message at peace forum here, Sison expressed optimism anew that the peace talks between Philippine communist rebels and the Philippine government will bear positive results under Duterte’s leadership.
“We wish him to succeed in all his efforts to serve the Filipino people, respond to the demands of full national independence, democracy, social justice and all-around development, and perform his crucial role in achieving a just and lasting peace,” Sison said.
Sison said, Duterte has shown political will which was supposedly not exhibited by his predecessors.
“Let us take advantage of a new situation in which the worsening crisis of the ruling system, a growing strength of the people’s revolutionary movement and the failures of previous admins have brought about a president who is courageous and willing to adopt and implement the necessary reforms,” he said.
Sison’s video message was addressed to the participants of a peace forum at the Almendras Gym, the culminating activity of a two-day event participated in by farmers, lumad, and Left-wing activists.
Prior to the peace forum, some 40,000 marched in the streets of Davao City to express support for the renewed prospects for peace and commemorate the first death anniversary of New People’s Army leader Leonio “Ka Parago” Pitao.
During the peace forum, leftist leaders in Mindanao presented its 10-point Mindanao People’s Agenda, which seeks social and economic reforms.
Incoming labor secretary and government peace negotiator Silvestre Bello III said the Duterte administration will study the 10-point agenda.
“We have to study it very carefully because probably they will use this working paper as their negotiating position in the peace negotiations,” Bello said.
Bello said the two panels are set to formally resume negotiations on July 16-19 or July 23-25.
He said the two sides will tackle three of the four substantive issues – social and economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, and end of hostilities.
“If both sides have agreed on these two issues (social and economic reforms, and political and constitutional reforms), we will finally and hopefully discuss the fourth substantive issue, which is the end of hostilities and disposition of forces,” he said.
Bello said the first substantive issue, which deals with respect of human rights, have already been resolved through the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).
Bello added the Duterte administration will honor past agreements with leftist rebels.
