GOVERNMENT chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III said the ongoing Rome round negotiations with the communist rebels is breaking new grounds and gaining more traction towards finally achieving peace in the country.
Bello said there may be initialing of agreed points in the social and economic reform agenda of the 3rd round of talks under the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
For the first time, both negotiating panels are tackling the issues on social and economic reforms.
Both parties earlier submitted draft proposals which Chief Party Facilitator Elisabeth Slattum of the Royal Norwegian Government (RNG) described as ambitious and are proof that both parties are working towards a "better future for the Philippines and the Filipino people."
The RNG has been hosting and acting as third party facilitator between the Philippine Government (GRP) and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
The NDF is the political umbrella of the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing, the New People's Army (CPP-NPA).
Bello likewise added that reports from the reciprocal working committees discussing the political and constitutional reform agenda are likewise very encouraging.
The peace talks have entered the more crucial round of discussing the core agenda and issues of the negotiations.
"The comprehensive agreement on social and economic reforms (CASER) is the heart and soul of these negotiations. And by finally starting to intently discuss this alone is already a significant breakthrough and a major leap forward," the government chief peace negotiator explained.
Bello said this has never happened in 30 years of negotiations with the communist rebels.
On Saturday, both parties signed the supplemental guidelines on the Joint Monitoring Committee, a body mandated under the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
The JMC was never constituted despite a joint issuance from both parties in 2004.
Under former President Benigno Aquino III, peace negotiations quickly bogged down in 2011 after only one formal talks over the issue of continuing arrests and detentions of leaders and members of the National Democratic Front (NDF).
In August, prior to the reopening of the peace negotiations under the Duterte administration, 21 detained NDF consultants were released to enable them to participate in the peace talks.
Six more detainees were subsequently freed on pardon and for having served sentence. (PR)