Escudero calls on government, rebels to resume peace talks

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya , Philippines  – Sen. Francis Escudero called yesterday on the government and communist rebels to resume peace talks without any precondition to show their sincerity in ending Asia’s longest-running communist rebellion.

“There can be no genuine development without peace,” he said. “All we need is the political will and purity of heart to end this conflict among Filipinos once and for all.”

The New People’s Army marked its 40th anniversary last March 29.

Escudero, Senate committee on justice and human rights chairman, said armed struggle is not the answer to the nation’s problems, and that a military campaign to destroy the NPA by 2010 is not the solution to the rebellion.

“The government must seek peace with honor,” he said.

“The billions now used by the government in its counter-insurgency campaign could be better used for development purposes once a ceasefire is agreed upon by both parties.”

The communist rebellion had been fueled by “the failure of past administrations to bring about true and meaningful change in our country,” Escudero said.

Formal talks between the government and rebels fell through in August 2004 after the United States and the European Union included the CPP-NPA in their lists of terrorist organizations.

Among the government’s preconditions for the resumption of formal talks was an indefinite ceasefire, as well as limiting discussions on “disarmament, demobilization and reintegration” (DDR).

On the other hand, the communist-led National Democratic Front (NDF) sought, among other things, the US’s and EU’s delisting of the CPP-NPA as a “foreign terrorist organization;” the release of NDF consultants Elizabeth Principe, Randolf Echanis, Eduardo Serrano, Eduardo Sarmiento and Randy Malayao; and the halt to “persecution” of Jose Ma. Sison in the Netherlands.

The rebels also hit at reports of alleged extrajudicial killings and the disappearance of over 1,000 unarmed legal activists.                – Charlie Lagasca