Former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the suspension of the peace talks in 2005 after the communist rebels walked out of the negotiations in Norway, accusing the Philippine government of including the CPP and the NPA in the U.S. and European lists of foreign terrorist organizations.
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In a statement posted on the cpp.ph website on Friday, the CPP said it declared the ceasefire following the release of nearly all detained rebels who have been identified as consultants by the NDF in the Oslo talks and hopes the GPH would reciprocate as a show of all-out determination to move forward in the resumption of peace talks.
THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) on Friday announced a 7-day unilateral ceasefire with the government, coinciding with the resumption of formal peace talks from August 22 to 27 in Oslo, Norway.
“Revolutionary forces across the country celebrate the successive release from unjust detention of the first batch of peace consultants of the NDFP since yesterday (Wednesday)”, the CPP said adding that it is expecting the release of the entire 22 detained consultants. Talks between the government and the rebels began in 1986, but failed to lead to a resolution over the years.
Dureza stressed the President is in full support of the orderly and effective conduct of peace negotiations with the release of the NDF consultants.
“As we speak there is continuing efforts to make available in Oslo peace talks resumption as many of them as possible”, Dureza said, referring to the remaining political prisoners that will take part in the talks as “consultants”.
“I say again: the Duterte government will walk the extra mile for peace”, he added.
Meanwhile, rights group Karapatan scored the Philippine National Police (PNP) for detaining couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon at Camp Crame despite orders from four local courts to release them.
The agreement provides immunity from arrest to NDF peace consultants.
But with or without reciprocation by the government, the NPA “must maintain a high-level of alertness against enemy troop movements”, said the CPP.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Senior Supt.
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The CPP said that it was encouraging President Duterte to continue with this, especially for the release of at least 550 political prisoners in the country.
