'Sign agreements to end hostilities'

The so-called enabling environment for the success of peace negotiations between the government and communist rebels would start from the finalization and signing of draft agreements on ending hostilities and disposition of forces, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison said.

He said the end of hostilities and disposition of forces are the fourth and last item in the substantive agenda of the peace negotiations in accordance with The Hague Joint Declaration and must be preceded by the comprehensive agreements on respect for human rights and international humanitarian law (CARHRIHL), on social and economic reforms (CASER) and on political and constitutional reforms (CAPCR).

“When the negotiating panels meet again, it should be easy for them to finalize the draft agreements and sign them,” Sison said on Thursday.

Sison said that since Oct. 4, 2017, the National Democratic Front (NDF) negotiating peace in behalf of the communist rebels has positively responded to the expressed desire of the government to draft a ceasefire agreement more effective and more sustained than the previous unilateral ceasefires. “Thus, the government and NDF back channel teams have already drafted an agreement on coordinated unilateral ceasefire to be monitored by a joint ceasefire committee at the national level,” Sison said. Sison said that this agreement on coordinated unilateral ceasefire is in the same package of draft agreements, including the draft amnesty to release all political prisoners in compliance with CARHRIHL and the drafts of such major parts of CASER as Agrarian Reform and Rural Development and National Industrialization and Economic Development.

Meanwhile, the military reported scores of NPA rebels were either killed or wounded in heavy fighting with government troops in the outskirts of Digos City, Davao del Sur on Good Friday.

Brig. Gen. Roberto Ancan, commander of the Army’s 1002nd Infantry in Sarangani, said the fighting that lasted for about half an hour also wounded Cpl. Geronimo Calosne Jr. of the 39th Infantry Battalion.

Ancan said the troops encountered the NPA rebels in Barangay Goma, Digos City on Friday morning.

Ancan said the troops are now pursuing the fleeing rebels who dragged their dead anad wounded comrades away.