By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Founding Chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines and NDFP Chief Political Consultant
August 26, 2016
I feel both honored and delighted to have participated in the successful resumption of the formal talks in the peace negotiations between the GRP and NDFP. The Joint Statement that we are signing and issuing today manifests the historic significance of what has been accomplished.
The accumulated agreements have been reaffirmed. The participants in the peace negotiations are further assured of safety and immuniy guarantees. The release of the NDFP consultants will lead to the amnesty and release of all those wrongly imprisoned in violation of their democratic rights and such agreements as the JASIG and CARHRIHL.
The plan of accelerated negotiations carries definite work schedules to produce comprehensive agreements on social and economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms and the end of hostilities and disposition of forces.
The current unilateral goodwill ceasefire of the NDFP will give way to a unilateral indefinite interim ceasefire in response to that of the GRP. The two unilateral ceasefire declarations are immediately effective and shall be reconciled in a single bilateral document.
I am sure that the Filipino people appreciate the work of the two negotiating panels and that they are elated by the results of the formal talks. These advance their struggle for national and social liberation and for a just and lasting peace.
The negotiating panels and their respective consultants and staff deserve all congratulations for their success and all encouragement for further advances on the long and difficult road of peace negotiations.
Of course the success of both panels can be traced all the way to the political will and determination of their principals, President Duterte and the NDFP leadership, to pursue the peace negotiations and bring about substantial social, economic and political reforms for the benefit of the Filipino people.
We hope that the peace negotiations will continue to be carried out seriously and diligently in response to the worsening crisis of the semicolonial and semifeudal ruling system and the clamor of the people for revolutionary change.
We congratulate and thank the Royal Norwegian Government and in particular the Hon. Foreign Minister Borge Bende and the Hon. Special Envoy Ambassador Elisabeth Slattum for the warm, efficient and charming facilitation for the formal talks and the ensuing success.
The chief negotiator of the NDFP Luis Jalandoni shall express to all concerned the collective view and sense of gratitude of the NDFP panel and entire delegation. May the press and all those present convey the good news to the Philippine and international public. Thank you.
