Palace: Peace talks with NDF still on

The government will pursue peace talks with the communist movement although the United States has tagged the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing the New People’s Army (NPA) as international terrorist organizations.

"Whether or not we call them terrorists or by whatever name, we’re still willing to negotiate peace with them," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye told Malacañang reporters yesterday.

Direct talks between the government and the communist umbrella group National Democratic Front (NDF) were broken off in June last year after communist hit squads assassinated Cagayan Rep. Rodolfo Aguinaldo and Quezon Rep. Marcial Punzalan.

"As of now, our lines of communication are open and that means we’re willing to negotiate," Bunye said, citing the appointment of presidential adviser on special concerns Norberto Gonzales and Presidential Management Staff head Silvestre Afable as special envoys for "back-channel" talks with the NDF.

Leftist groups, however, continued to assail President Arroyo’s designation of Gonzales as special envoy to restart the stalled peace talks.

Bunye said the designation of Gonzales and Afable "would signify the continued willingness of the administration to have ongoing dialogue."

"(But) we also have to wait for some signs of sincerity from the other side," Bunye said. "These gestures should be met with an appropriate response from the other side. At least from our end, there is a sincere intention to keep our lines open."

Bunye conceded that the US move to blacklist the CPP-NPA may cause "temporary setbacks," although he also said the move was welcome since it would squeeze the communist leadership and speed up the resumption of talks.

"There might be some temporary setbacks because of the announcement made by the United States, but we see that only as a temporary situation," he said.

"We have to consider that what the United States did was a unilateral action. They acted based on their laws. I don’t think we should be hindered by an action taken by a third party as far as our negotiations are concerned," he added.

Bunye also stressed that the Palace was not "discouraged" by the communist movement’s supposed rejection of Gonzales as special peace envoy.

"We have no specific response to that specific comment for now. But definitely, we are not easily discouraged by such remarks," he said.

On Sunday, NDF spokesman Fidel Agcaoili said the rebel leadership was "displeased" with the appointment of Gonzales as a negotiator and even called him an "ignoramus."

Agcaoili said the NDF had nothing but "utter contempt" for Gonzales, whom he said "betrayed" the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the past "by supplying intelligence information to the US and Philippine intelligence agencies even during the time of Marcos."

Former justice secretary Silvestre Bello, the government’s chief negotiator with the NDF, said his panel would be able to submit a draft peace agreement within two weeks for Mrs. Arroyo’s approval.

Once the draft settlement is approved, it would be submitted to the other side for approval, he said.

However, with the appointment of back-channel negotiators, Bello said he became unsure about his panel’s role in the talks. "Whether President Arroyo is taking a new track or framework, we don’t know about that," he said. - Marichu Villanueva, Benjie Villa, Ding Cervantes, Sandy Araneta, Mayen Jaymalin