THE chief negotiator of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) peace panel is optimistic that a bilateral agreement will be reached during the second round of peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) on October 4 to 10 at Holmenkollen Park Hotel in Oslo, Norway.
In a press release issued by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (Opapp) on September 21, GRP peace panel chief negotiator and Labor secretary Silvestre "Bebot" Bello said the successful and smooth implementation of the ceasefire mirrors the possible results of the bilateral peace agreement.
"It is indicative of the sincerity of both parties in the (peace) process which augurs well for peace," Bello said.
It can be recalled that President Rodrigo Duterte restored a unilateral and indefinite ceasefire on the eve of the formal resumption of the peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF) on August 21 to create a favorable condition for the negotiations.
Following the development, the NDF also ended its seven-day goodwill ceasefire last August 21 to 27 and declared its own unilateral and indefinite ceasefire upon the end of the first round of peace talks last August 26.
Based on the same Opapp statement, the indefinite unilateral ceasefire from the New People's Army (NPA) is considered "historic and unprecedented" as it was inspired by the release of 22 detained NDF consultants-the most number of prisoners released by the government to date.
The 30-year history of government peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People's Army/National Democratic Front (CPP/NPA/NDF) have been disrupted at least 15 times and these were being attributed to the issues involving the release of detained NDF consultants and the declaration of ceasefire.
Recent development shows that both parties have also agreed to submit drafts for the formal bilateral ceasefire during the resumption of the peace negotiation in the first week of October.
"Hopefully, this will ripen to a bilateral and permanent ceasefire and finally the end of hostilities," Bello said.
Based on the same statement, more than 150,000 people have been killed in armed clashes and violent incidents in almost five decades of guerilla war launched by the NDF through its armed wing, the NPA.
The Philippine military said that the NPA has been reduced to less than 4,000 armed regulars scattered all over the country.
NDF panel chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni clarified they have 10,000 armed regulars operating in more than 120 guerrilla fronts that cover more than 72 provinces.
The GRP-NDFP formal peace talks are entering the more substantive phase of the peace negotiations with both parties submitting outlines and drafts on social and economic reforms and political and constitutional reforms in the next round.