Duterte to issue EO on local peace talks

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang is preparing an executive order that will spell out the guiding framework for localized peace talks with communist rebels.

An agreement was made during the special cluster meeting of the Security, Justice and Peace Cabinet Cluster with President Duterte on Wednesday.

It was where the seven-point guiding framework for the localized peace talks was agreed upon.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said under the guiding framework for localized peace engagement, the President and his men agreed that it should be nationally orchestrated, centrally directed and locally supervised and implemented.

Roque said the guiding framework will assist local government officials in the peace initiative in their respective turfs once Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison will agree with the government’s condition to hold the peace talks in the Philippines.

“If Joma Sison refuses to discuss peace here in the Philippines, we will authorize the local government officials to engage in localized peace talks,” Roque said. 

Roque said the constitutional integrity and sovereignty of the country will not be compromised in directly talking peace with the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels to address the local armed conflict.

Roque said if there is a ceasefire, the constitutional mandate of the state to protect public safety, civilian welfare, critical infrastructure and private properties and the guarantee of rule of law and order will not be compromised at all times. 

As part of the government’s goodwill, Roque said it is ready to provide full amnesty package based on disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration to the mainstream of society. 

“The necessary enabling environment set by the President for the formal local talks to proceed are local venue, no coalition government or power-sharing, no revolutionary taxes, extortion, arson and violent activities and the fighters to remain in their pre-designated encampment areas,” he said.

Roque added the substantive agenda will be based on the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan and Philippine Development Program 2040.

In the same way, Roque also confirmed that there will be four types of localized peace engagement, which include localized peace talks, community dialogue, local peace package and confidential dialogue. 

The localized peace talks, as cited by Roque, will be between the local peace channel and the local fighters’ leadership, while the community dialogue is an informal and open communication line and liaising network to facilitate peace package. 

For the local peace package, it will be a direct availing of the government’s peace incentive intended to provide integration and mainstreaming support without going through the process of peace negotiation, while the confidential dialogue will only be undertaken with a rebel who decides to lie low with no documentation and will not avail himself of the peace package program.