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BY RANIE AZUE
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February 11, 2018
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BACOLOD City – Former congressman Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III believes that there is still chance for the revival of the peace talks between the government under the Duterte administration and the National Democratic Front.
The National Democratic Front is the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines.
Tañada, once a representative of the 4th District of Quezon City, was in the city on Thursday.
He said some representatives from the Norwegian government – the third-party facilitator of the peace negotiations in the country – will meet with him this week in Manila.
Tañada added that they will discuss on the prospected continuation of the peace talks.
President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation No. 360 in November last year, which formally terminated the peace talks between the government and the communist rebels.
Tañada said he is supporting moves to have the peace negotiations resumed the soonest possible time.
The obstacles – like armed skirmishes – are just part of the long process of achieving permanent peace, Tañada said. He added that these must not be the basis to stop the negotiations.
“The peace talk is tedious and long. [It] is not like a 100-meter sprint but a marathon,” Tañada said.
The most important part of the peace talks is solving the root cause of insurgency, which is laid down in the Comprehensive Agreement on Social Economic Reforms (CASER), according to Tañada.
The CASER might have been signed before 2017 ended had the peace talks were not cancelled, stressed Tañada, adding that it was “almost done.”
Tañada believes that Duterte will reconsider his decision and will push for the resumption of the peace talks.
After all, the President wants long lasting peace with the Moro Secessionist Movement in Mindanao through the passage of the Bangsa Moro Basic Law, added Tañada./PN
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