Accelerated timetable on substantive agenda

PEACE negotiators from the Philippine government (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF) yesterday gave the green light for an accelerated timetable for its Reciprocal Working Committee (RWC) and Reciprocal Working Groups (RWG) to complete work on the substantive agenda of the peace talks in less than a year.

Based on a press statement issued by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (Oppap) yesterday afternoon, the accelerated timetable was agreed upon and submitted to the GRP and NDF panels by their respective working committee and groups, which held simultaneous discussions

ous discussions Tuesday afternoon.

Concurrent chair of the government peace panel Silvestre Bello III said that they commended the respective working committee groups for the immediate agreement on a fixed time table.

"We commend the RWC and RWGs of both panels for working hand-in-hand and agreeing on a fixed timetable for the substantive agenda in record time,” Bello said.

He added that they in the government panel were surprised that the RWC and RWGs came up with agreements in so short a time and that discussions only lasted from nine minutes to thirty minutes.

“It was really morale-boosting for both panels," Bello said.

Based on the press release, as expected, the longest session was reserved for the discussion on the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (Caser) which would eventually tackle the most contentious issues such as agrarian reform, national industrialization and foreign policy.

The GRP-RWC on Caser is led by Atty. Efren Moncupa, a human rights lawyer and former political detainee, while his counterpart from the NDF is Juliet de LimaSison, member of the NDF negotiating panel.

In their report to the panels, the RWC on Caser of both parties agreed to "endeavor to complete work within a period of six months."

Bello noted that Caser is considered the "heart and soul" of the peace negotiations between the GRP and the NDF, pointing out that work on socio-economic reforms would determine the outcome of the talks.

"This committee will work on the most important issue: how to address the root causes of conflict in the Philippines in order to attain just and lasting peace. The sooner CASER is wrapped up, the better for the peace negotiations," Bello explained.