(Eagle News) — The Palace on Thursday, March 21, said panels would be created for localized peace talks with Communist rebels.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said local government units, the military and sectoral representatives would make up the new panels whose constitution was officially announced days after President Rodrigo Duterte ended the appointments of government peace panel chair Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, and of members Hernani Braganza, Rene Sarmiento, Angela Librado-Trinidad and former state prosecutor Antonio Arellano.
Duterte had cited the termination of the peace talks with the Communist rebels in November 2017 in ending their appointments.
Even before the official dissolution of the government peace panel, though, President Duterte has been vocal in his support for localized peace talks with the Communist rebels.
In July 2018, the chief executive approved guidelines for the localized peace talks.
Then-Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque enumerated these as follows:
- They should be nationally orchestrated, centrally directed, and locally supervised and implemented
- Constitutional integrity and sovereignty will not be compromised
- There should be a complete and genuine resolution of the local armed conflict covering the New People’s Army (NPA), organs of political power, and Militia ng Bayan
- 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
- There should be a provision of a full amnesty package based on disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation, and reintegration to mainstream society
- The peace talks must be consistent with Philippine Development Plan 2022 and Philippine Development Program 2040
