3 of 5 major issues resolved in Oslo peace talks between PHL gov't, NDF

The Office of the President Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) on Wednesday announced that the peace panels of the government and the National Democratic Front have agreed on three major issues in talks in Oslo, Norway.

The OPAPP said the three major issues include:

• Affirmation of previously-signed agreements;
• Reconstitution of the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) list; and
• Accelerated process for negotiations, including the timeline for the completion of the remaining substantive agenda for the talks: socio-economic reforms; political and economic reforms; and end of hostilities and disposition of forces, including the Joint Monitoring Committee.

The OPAPP said it only took four hours for both panels to settle the three issues during a marathon session on Tuesday.

"It was a frank and honest discussion among friends. We are candid with each other, knowing that we share the common agenda of peace," said Labor Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III, concurrent chair of the government peace panel.

Bello added that there were also heated discussions during the negotiations.

"In fact, we have to call a break on several occasions to cool off. But the general atmosphere was cordial as the session was punctuated by laughter and light banter," he added.

Bello said all agreements signed from the administration of late President Corazon Aquino were reaffirmed, but "subject to enhancements," which, he said, are needed to "as we do not want to be tied down by the rigidity of the past."

Among the agreements reaffirmed include:

• The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992
• Breukelen Joint Statement of 1994
• the JASIG
• Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CAHRHIL).

Bello said they also agreed to activate the Reciprocal Working Committee on the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER) and the Reciprocal Working Groups (RWGs) on Political and Constitutional Reforms (PCR) and End of Hostilities-Disposition of Forces (EOH-DOF).

"RWC and the RWGs may hold discussions on their own at the venue of their choice. We agreed that all RWC meetings will be held in Oslo, but RWG discussions may be held in the Philippines," he explained.

He also said that both panels have also agreed to try to complete discussions on socio-economic reforms within six months.

‘Mixture of levity, cajoling’

Attorney Edre Olalia, NDF panel legal counsel, confirmed that the panels reached "satisfactory consensus on major items in the agenda."

"First day of formal peace negotiations proper generally went smoothly & there was mutually satisfactory consensus on major items in the agenda," Olalia said in a text message from Olso.

"Exchanges were frank and transparent, punctuated by a mixture of levity, cajoling, and persuasion as well as firmness on basic principles," he added.

Olalia said there "were also simultaneous meetings of main committees & groups afterwards that mapped out what lies ahead."

"Bilateral formulations of running agreements or understandings thus far were authenticated by the parties & the facilitator," Olalia said.

"Today we go back to the negotiating table and tackle the remaining items in the agenda," he added.

Both panels were represented by their "full complement" of negotiators.

Olalia said five recently freed political prisoners—Concha Araneta Bocala, Kennedy Bangibang, Alfredo Mapano, Eduardo Genelsa and Ariel Arbitrario—were also present at the formal talks.

Immunity list

Bello said that both panels also agreed to reconstitute the list of NDF consultant who shall be immune from arrest so they can join the peace process.

Several NDF consultants have been released before the peace talks resumed in Oslo on August 22.

Recently released NDF consultants, couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, are in Oslo joining the talks.

The NDF said that the list of communist members that would be in the immunity list include 54 "publicly-known" consultants and 87 guerilla leaders.

Bello said the peace panels will attempt to resolve in the coming days the two remaining major issues: the mode of interim ceasefire and amnesty proclamation for the release of all detained political prisoners, which should be approved by Congress.

The peace negotiations in Oslo is expected to conclude on August 26. —ALG/NB, GMA News