MANILA – “Peace saboteurs” are delaying the peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, a party-list representative said.
Peace talks were supposed to resume June 28 but President Rodrigo Duterte postponed it to give way for further public consultation.
“The peace saboteurs monkey-wrenched the peace negotiations even if there is already a joint stand-down agreement the NDFP signed with the government on June 8 as proof that the peace panels are serious in resuming the stalled talks,” Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna said on Sunday.
The government and the NDFP signed the two-page joint stand-down agreement in the Netherlands on June 8.
The document stated that both parties agreed to a stand-down “in consideration of the forthcoming resumption of the formal peace talks, in order to provide through goodwill and confidence-building measures, the positive atmosphere conducive to moving forward and completing the peace negotiations and the implementation of agreements entered into or may be entered into.”
“Now the saboteurs are increasing their verbal and legal attacks against the peace negotiators of the NDFP by vilifying them as spoiled brats,” the congressman said.
In addition, Zarate urged President Duterte not to listen to “peace spoilers” and reject their “hawkish overtures.”
“These peace saboteurs say they support the peace talks but in reality they are doing all they can to derail it,” said the lawmaker. “They quibble on side issues but do not address the basic issues that could judiciously end the armed conflict.”/PN