Int’l lawyers’ group urges Philippines to hold peace talks in foreign country

MANILA, Philippines — The International Association of Democratic Lawyers of Friday called on the Philippine government to hold the next round of peace talks abroad instead in the country as demanded by Malacañang.

In a resolution, members of the governing bureau of IADL urged the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines to abide by their agreements and resume the peace negotiations in a foreign neutral venue.

The group said the demand of the government to hold the peace talks in Manila is “a position divergent from a binding agreement between the parties that it be held in a foreign neutral venue.”

“Mainly for security reasons, history and universal practice teach us that most, if not all, peace negotiations between two warring parties were generally held in a foreign neutral venue outside the countries of territories where their respective armed forces are,” it explained.

The Kingdom of Norway has been a third-party facilitator between the communist rebels and the Philippine government. In February, Norway’s special envoy to the peace process reiterated the European country’s commitment to the talks.

But Palace insisted that there is no need to go abroad to talk peace with fellow Filipinos, saying President Rodrigo Duterte has already guaranteed the safety of rebel negotiators and consultants.

Should the Philippines become the next venue of the talks, there will be no need for a third-party facilitator anymore although help from other countries will be welcomed, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said.

Duterte, in several occasions, asked Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison to come home and even offered to shoulder all of his former professor’s expenses.

The government on Thursday suspended all backchannel talks with the communist movement for three months pending the review of all signed agreements. Last week, it was announced that the supposed resumption of talks would not push through.

READ: Duterte wants peace talks with Reds held in the country