Govt panel withdraws from 5th round of peace talks with NDFP

Philippine government peace negotiators announced early Monday morning (PHL Standard Time) that they were sticking to the earlier decision not to participate in the fifth round of talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

"There are no compelling reasons for us to change the decision that had been arrived at, and which we announced yesterday," Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza explained.

Dureza added that Saturday's decision not to participate in the fifth round was due to a lack of an "enabling environment conducive to peace negotiations."

And despite a brief conversation Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) Chairman Jose Maria Sison, the situation had not changed.

Labor Secretary and government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III, nevertheless, emphasized that though government negotiators were withdrawing from the fifth round of talks, "we are not terminating the talks."

Dureza also pointed out that though the fifth round of formal talks were now off, that did not mean that they could not have conversations with their counterparts in the NDFP

"There are many paths to peace," he clarified.

The government peace panel also emphasized that all agreements made during the earlier formal peace talks were still binding and valid.

The government negotiators on Saturday temporarily withdrew from the fifth round of peace negotiations due to a directive from the CPP that the New People's Army intensify its offensive operations.

The directive, in turn, was triggered by President Rodrigo Duterte's declaration of martial law in Mindanao.

Issues such as a joint interim ceasefire, social and economic reforms, and human rights were among the matters that were supposed to be dealt with during the  fifth round of talks.

Their decision, their own responsibility

NDFP negotiators meanwhile "deeply regretted" their counterparts' decision to withdraw from the talks.

NDFP Peace Panel Chairperson Fidel Agcaoili however added, "Its their decision. Its their own responsibility."

Agcaoili also explained that they had recommended to the CPP leadership that they reconsider their order to the NPA, but a decision on the matter would take time.

In a statement the NDFP lashed out at Dureza's comments on the CPP's order, saying it "totally obscures the fact that the government has been waging an 'all-out-war' against" the NPA.

The statement went on to argue that Duterte's declaration of martial law in Mindanao was "bound to further escalate the armed conflict, aggravate the human rights situation and exacerbate the suffering of the people." — with a report from Agence France-Presse/DVM, GMA News