The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) stood pat Wednesday on its position against a ceasefire before resuming peace talks with the government.
In a statement posted on its website, the CPP also reminded President Benigno Aquino III that previous peace talks during the administration of his mother, the late Corazon Aquino, failed largely because of a ceasefire as a condition to the talks.
"Aquino should know better than to insist on peace negotiations premised on a ceasefire agreement which was proven unsuccessful during the term of his mother as president," the statement said.
Besides, the CPP said engaging in peace talks while their weapons are tied up "virtually holds us hostage."
"It would be foolish for us to expect to talk on fair and equal terms regarding life-and-death questions with the other side, when we have our arms dropped while the forces on other side have the barrels of their guns pointed at our heads," it said.
The CPP said a three-month ceasefire in late 1986 to early 1987 did not result in any fruitful agreement in terms of addressing the roots of the armed conflict.
Worse, it said the government used the lull to "induce inertia among the revolutionary armed forces, and for the puppet reactionary armed forces and intelligence agents to freely enter and intensify surveillance in revolutionary areas."
The CPP said it was only when the government under then-President Fidel Ramos agreed to throw away the earlier premise of tying the talks to an immediate and prolonged ceasefire agreement did the peace negotiations become fruitful.
In that period, said the CPP, aside from The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992 which set forth the framework, principles and sequence of peace negotiations, other important agreements mutually signed by the NDFP and GRP include the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) signed in 1995 and the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) signed in 1998.
"If Aquino insists on having peace talks premised on an immediate ceasefire, he will be reducing his peace declarations to empty rhetoric," pointed out the CPP.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda earlier said the government is standing by its proposal to implement a ceasefire before resuming talks with the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). (See: Aquino ready to talk peace with MILF, CPP-NPA-NDF)
The Armed Forces of the Philippines also expressed support for the proposal, first mentioned by Aquino during his State of the Nation Address on Monday. (See: AFP backs Aquino call to resume peace talks with NDFP)—Jerrie M. Abella/JV
