Jalandoni in Manila for peace talks

MANILA, Philippines - National Democratic Front chairman Luis Jalandoni and his wife Ma. Consuelo Ledesma arrived yesterday from the Netherlands for a two-week private visit.

Jalandoni’s arrival came a day after the Aquino administration and the communist leadership agreed to a 19-day Christmas ceasefire, and as the two parties were setting the stage for formal peace talks in Oslo, Norway tentatively set on Feb. 19-25.

The couple arrived on a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong.

“This is a family visit. I’m so happy to be back here with family, friends and kasama (comrades) and we are glad that we had a fruitful, meaningful and cordial meeting with Mr. Alex Padilla and attorney Pablito Sanidad in Hong Kong,” Jalandoni told mediamen at the immigration area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 shortly after his arrival.

Padilla is the government’s newly appointed lead peace negotiator. He and Sanidad are human rights lawyers.

Welcoming the Jalandoni couple were lawyers Edre Olalia and Rachel Pastores and Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Director Carla Munsayac Villarta.

Jalandoni and NDF chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison, who is also the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, have been on self-exile in Utrecht, Netherlands for years.

“The formal peace talks are tentatively set for the third week of February with a preliminary peace talk in the third week of January and we are glad that both sides are recommending highly to the respective national leadership a Christmas holiday ceasefire – concurrent unilateral, and reciprocal from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3, 2011,” Jalandoni said.       

The preliminary talks are slated tentatively on Jan. 14 to 18 also in Oslo.

“We are still checking with the Norwegian government, the third party facilitator, through ambassador Ture Lundh of the Norwegian Foreign Ministry,” he said referring to the January and February schedules.

Jalandoni said the Aquino administration had assured them of safe passage through the joint agreement on safety and immunity guarantees or Jasig in an effort to “improve the atmosphere” ahead of the peace talks.

Padilla himself handed Jalandoni a copy of the order lifting the hold departure order dated June 29, 1992 on the NDF leader, during their meeting in Hong Kong.

Padilla, he said, had also assured him that the lifting of the suspension of Jasig on July 17, 2009 is still in effect.

“We are looking forward to work with them (peace negotiators) and the rest of the panel for a meaningful, serious peace negotiation to address the root of the arm conflict and take up issues like land reform and national industrialization as we would like that release of Morong 43 will happen very soon and improve the atmosphere for the peace talk,” he said. The Morong 43 refers to the group of 43 militant health workers arrested in the closing weeks of the Arroyo administration in Morong, Rizal for an alleged plot to sow terror.

Jalandoni also appealed for the release from detention of other NDF members, including a 65-year consultant, “so peace can resume in February and move forward.”

“We also hope for the release of other political prisoners numbering almost four hundred,” he said.

He also belied purported military intelligence information that New People’s Army spokesman Gregorio Rosal or Ka Roger is dead.

“As far as we know, he is alive. From what we know, his health is okay and he’s still active but staying out of media attention for security reasons,” Jalandoni said.

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) declined to comment on Jalandoni’s return but gave assurance that the military would respect the Jasig.

“We’re leaving this matter to the Office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. But rest assured that we will respect the Jasig,” AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said.