CHIZ CALLS ON GOV'T, COMMUNIST REBELS TO RESUME PEACE TALKS WITHOUT PRE-CONDITIONS

Opposition Senator Chiz Escudero yesterday called on government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) to resume peace talks without preconditions to show their sincerity in ending the longest-running communist insurgency in Asia.

"We should do away with preconditions. Both sides should work for the immediate resumption of the formal talks. The bloodletting must stop, especially now that our countrymen are being hit hard by the economic crisis," he said.

The senator issued the statement on the eve of the 40th founding anniversary of the New People's Army (NPA), the NDF's armed wing, on March 29. Formal talks between the Philippine government and the NDF collapsed in August 2004 with the inclusion of the rebels in the US and EU (European Union) terrorist lists.

"The failure of past administrations to bring about true and meaningful change in our country has fueled this long-running revolutionary movement. But armed struggle is not the answer to our country's problems," Escudero, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said.

He said both sides should work together to break the impasse by implementing confidence-building measures.

The government demands, among other things, an indefinite ceasefire as a precondition to the resumption of formal talks and proposed that the discussions focus on disarmament, demobilization and reintegration (DDR).

The rebels, on the other hand, have outlined a number of "impediments" to the continuation of the peace process. The NDF is demanding that the government move for the delisting of the CPP-NPA as a "foreign terrorist organization" in the list of the United States and the European Union.

It is also asking for the release of NDF consultants Elizabeth Principe, Randolf Echanis, Eduardo Serrano, Eduardo Sarmiento and Randy Malayao. It thas also urged the government to stop the "persecution" of its chief political consultant Jose Ma. Sison in The Netherlands.

The NDF has also deplored alleged extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances of over 1,000 unarmed legal activists.

The opposition senator said that the recent electoral victories of the Left in Latin America show that the parliamentary arena is a viable alternative to armed struggle.

Escudero said the success of Bayan Muna party-list leader, Rep. Satur Ocampo, and his militant colleagues as well as other left-of-center groups in getting elected to the Lower House show the advances in the country's political environment since 1986.

"Democratic space has widened considerably since 1946 when the elected representatives of the Democratic Alliance were barred from taking their seats in the House. We must work together to expand it further," he said.

Escudero also said the government must seek peace with honor instead of engaging in a military campaign to destroy the rebels by 2010.

He pointed out that billions being spent by government in its counter-insurgency campaign could be instead be allocated for development purposes if talks resume and a ceasefire agreed upon by both parties.

"We all know that a military solution will not end this insurgency. Unless we root out poverty and injustice, the rebellion will continue," Escudero said.

"There can be no genuine development without peace. All we need is the political will and purity of heart to end this conflict among Filipinos once and for all."