Communists say prospects of ceasefire dim

Communists rebels yesterday said the possibility of resuming peace talks with the government is dim due to preconditions that have been set.

"The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) desires the resumption of peace negotiations but the prospects of such resumption under the Arroyo administration are dim due to unacceptable preconditions," a statement issued by Fidel Agcaoili, chairman of the NDFP, said.

Capitulation

The NDFP represents the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People's Army (NPA) in the negotiations which were restarted by representatives from both sides in August in Oslo, Norway after a year-long hiatus.

"The government of the Republic of the Philippines is seeking to impose as precondition the capitulation of the democratic front under the guise of indefinite ceasefire, in violation of The Hague Joint Declaration," the statement said.

"It collaborates with the United States by using the so-called terrorist listing in order to blackmail the NDFP," it stated.

The statement added that the policy of the Arroyo regime on the question of peace negotiations "is completely in the hands of the US government, rabid military puppets and fascist clerics who masquerade as social democrats".

"In view of this, the NDFP considers as trickery the so-called unilateral ceasefire issued by the government this Christmas and New Year Holidays," the statement said.

Arroyo had declared a three-week unilateral ceasefire on December 16 and urged the rebels to reciprocate the gesture.

The communists called off peace negotiations with the government in August, accusing Manila of not doing enough to persuade international governments to remove them from their list of foreign terrorist organisations.

Lawmakers' call

Lawmakers on Saturday called on CPP founder Jose Maria Sison to heed the Dutch government's order to leave The Netherlands and go home to lead the NDF peace panel in forging a lasting peace with the national government.

The legislators were led by Rep. Antonio Cuenco and Rep. Douglas Cagas, and said that Sison would be boosting the chances of a successful peace process by having a direct hand in ensuring the peace talks.

The congressmen, in a joint statement, said if Sison obliges, "this could be his biggest contribution in solving one of the country's major problems", which is the communist insurgency.

Cuenco, chairman of the House committee on foreign affairs, said Sison's homecoming would also show his concern for his comrades whom he described as "having a hard life pursuing the armed struggle".

"It's hard to accept the fact that many communist rebels have nothing to eat in the mountains while Sison is having a good life in The Netherlands," Cuenco said.

The Dutch government had earlier asked Sison to leave the country as he had overstayed. The Communist Party of the Philippines' 8,000-member New People's Army (NPA) has waged a 35-year insurgency that has claimed the lives of thousands of Filipino combatants and civilians.