Rebels decry termination of peace talks by Philippine government

The Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA- NDF) slammed Wednesday the Philippine government for unilateral termination of the peace negotiations with them. "By completely abandoning the path of peace negotiations, the Aquino regime has chosen the path of the 'purely military approach ' which has repeatedly been proven to be a failed strategy in addressing the raging civil war in the Philippines," the group said. The CPP-NPA-NDF said that despite the Aquino administration's unilateral termination of peace negotiations, they remain steadfast in their call for the resumption of formal peace negotiations with the aim of addressing and resolving the socio- economic roots of the armed conflict. The leftist rebels were reacting to the decision of the Aquino administration not to pursue anymore the formal talks or the regular track with the NDF, the political wing of the CPP-NPA, saying that this kind of negotiation was going nowhere for the last 27 years. Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles explained Wednesday that the decision not to push for the formal talks with the NDF was in consultation with the Norwegian facilitator who was in the Philippines last month. During the discussion with the Norwegian facilitator, Deles said that they also "mutually established that the NDF killed the special track (of negotiation) that they had themselves proposed." The special track was proposed by Jose Maria Sison, CPP-NPA-NDF founding chairman, to fast-track the negotiations through an agreement on a Draft Declaration on National Unity and Just Peace which would lead to an immediate ceasefire and creation of a Committee for National Unity, Peace and Development. The special track imposed no preconditions and would skirt the protracted process of the regular track. But during the talks last February, the NDF again set preconditions resulting in the collapse of the negotiation. Deles said that the government is always ready to resume talks with the leftist rebels under a new approach which "will offer a better chance of bringing us to the peace our people desire and deserve." "We are currently undertaking discussions towards this new approach," she added.