Peace advocates renew call for resumption of peace talks

Peace advocate groups raised an appeal for the Philippine government to consider resuming peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines - National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NDFP).

"The gains of the peace talks can surely flourish with persistence and creativity by peace advocates and support by schools, churches, people’s organizations and civil-society groups. Peace advocates choose to hold high the torches of hope and possibility," the group said on the 20th anniversary of the  Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

"We will stand the gap, continue the climb, and forge the way for creating the atmosphere needed for building peace in our land. As we push to #Uphold CARHRIHL, we also push for the continuation of peace talks that would address and resolve the roots of the armed conflict," they added.

In his keynote address during the peace advocate group's gathering at St. Scholastica's College, Deogracias Iñiguez who heads the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform urged the government to uphold the resumption of peace talks.

"Ang hindi pagpapatupad ng CARHRIHL, ang patuloy na paglabag sa Kasunduan, paglabag sa mga karapatang pantao, paglabag sa mga batas ng makataong kondukta ng digma o International Humanitarian Law-- nakakalason ang mga ito sa atmospera ng usapang pangkapayapaan at hindi nalulunasan, sa halip lumulubha ang paghihirap at pagkasalanta sa mamamayan dulot ng armadong tunggalian," he said.

The peace advocates, composed of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform, Pilgrims for Peace, Sulong CARHRIHL, Kapayapaan Campaign for Just and Lasting Peace, ACT for Peace, and the Philippine Peace Center, also pointed out the benefits reaped from the CARHRIHL.

"We hail the CARHRIHL as an important document in the struggle to promote and protect human rights and, for the Parties in the armed conflict, to abide by international humanitarian law in the conduct of war, especially during times of impasse in the peace negotiations," they wrote.

"In upholding the CARHRIHL, periods of impasse in the formal talks have been broken through goodwill and confidence building measures such as the release of prisoners of war and of political prisoners, including NDFP consultants," they added.

"At this time, when the Duterte administration appears focused on moves like pulling out of the International Criminal Court and declaring more-than-600 persons as terrorists under the Human Security Act, we urge President Rodrigo R. Duterte to instead focus the attention of his government on faithful adherence to the principles of human rights and international humanitarian law," their statement read.

The group remains optimistic the peace talks will resume soon and to the full implementation of the CARHRIHL.

"We continue to encourage confidence-building measures, principled and innovative resolution of issues and impasses, as well as a renewed commitment to implementing CARHRIHL, an agreement signed bilaterally 20 years ago," the group said. — Margaret Claire Layug/ BAP, GMA News