Press Statement

23 January 2001

NDFP WELCOMES MACAPAGAL-ARROYO’S CALL FOR RESUMPTION OF GRP-NDFP PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

By Jose Maria Sison

NDFP Chief Political Consultant

I appreciate and welcome the prompt public pronouncement of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that she is interested in the soonest possible resumption of the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

To create immediately the atmosphere for resuming the peace talks, the new GRP president can order the release of all the political prisoners as a goodwill and confidence-building measure, in response to the pleas of the human rights organizations, the families of political prisoners and the people.

She can find precedence in the unilateral act of former President Aquino in releasing all political prisoners in 1986 after the fall of Marcos in response to popular clamor.

In reciprocation to the release of all political prisoners, the NDFP is ready to order the release of the prisoners of war in the hands of the New People’s Army.

It is the policy of the NDFP panel to receive any exploratory team or new negotiating panel as soon as designated and dispatched by the new president.

The NDFP assumes that the resumption of peace negotiations means the revival of all the agreements previously made by the GRP and NDFP at the level of the principals and at the level of the negotiating panels.

Among the most important agreements are The Hague Joint Declaration, the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.

The peace negotiations made substantial progress during the term of President Ramos until Estrada deliberately scuttled them. #