This city’s Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, who is president of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) noted yesterday that “we already have indefinite unilateral ceasefire declarations and for the first time since the talks started, the ceasefire is holding. We can now discuss and hopefully agree on a joint ceasefire declaration.”
Pamintuan and other members of the Philippine peace panel leaves Oct. 6 for the second round of peace talks with the NDFP.
He said the agenda in Oslo will include a comprehensive agreement on social economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, and a joint ceasefire agreement.
Pamintuan, who also served as adviser to the Philippine peace panel during the Arroyo administration, said “the people must be informed that what we are aiming is not only the end of armed hostilities but also the solution to the social and economic issues that brought about this conflict.”
“At the end of the day, it is the Filipino people who must benefit,” he said.
He stressed that “our hopes are high that we will achieve another breakthrough and come up with more comprehensive agreements that will lead to the formal signing of a peace settlement by next year.”
Pamintuan noted that the peace negotiation with the NDFP, which has been waging a five-decade guerilla war in the countrysides through its armed component New People’s Army (NPA), was revived after a sixyear hiatus following the release on bail of jailed top-leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
The other day, NDFP chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison said “the center of gravity of the peace negotiations is the twin necessity for national industrialization and land reform.”
“Land reform is needed to produce a definite and wealthy source of food, raw materials for industry, and a broad market for industrial and agricultural products. National industrialization is needed to produce machines and other equipment for agriculture, create numerous and new jobs for the increasing population and destination of surplus agricultural produce,” said Sison.
Pamintuan said “the way to Oslo, Norway is long and back-breaking. The road to peace is also not easy. The issues are deep. The root-causes of this war have to be addressed.”
