“If the United States cares, even an iota, for the peace of our nation and people, they will remove their ‘terrorist’ tagging,” the group of Pilgrims for Peace said in a statement.
The group said such can impede travel and make it dangerous for professor Jose Maria Sison, founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines to attend any activity related to the talks in the Philippines.
In the Country Reports on Terrorism 2015 released by the US State Department on June 2, the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, were listed anew as “US-designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations” along with the Abu Sayyaf Group and its regional affiliate Jemaah Islamiyah.
The US State Department report said the only reason that these groups “were unable to conduct major attacks on civilian targets in metropolitan areas” is “sustained pressure” from Philippine law enforcers.
But Sison accused the US government of sabotaging talks between the incoming President Rodrigo Duterte administration and communist rebels by reiterating the terror tag on CPP and other leftist organizations.
He said the timing of the release of the US State Department report is suspicious because it came just as they are prepared to resume formal negotiations for a peace pact.
The National Democratic Front, which serves as an umbrella organization for the CPP-NPA, said the issue on the US’ terror tag against them can adversely affect the return of Sison, who is supposed to meet with Duterte.
NDF spokesman Fidel Agcaoili told reporters in press briefing in Davao City Wednesday night that to travel from Holland to Manila, Sison must pass by Taipei.
“If the US will be a spoiler, Sison might be presented a warrant in Taipei by the Interpol, which the US has control. Then the peace talks will be in kaput,” said Agcaoili.
He said the issue should be discussed seriously and that guarantees from states should be given to ensure that the peace talks will not be affected.
According to him, there has to be some guarantees from the Dutch government, the Norwegian government , the US government to respect the sovereignty of the Filipino people in their desire to pursue a just and lasting peace without interference.
"But I am not sure whether the US will agree with providing a guarantee saying the world’s superpower “has always been a bully," he further said.
The preliminary talks between the NDF and the incoming administration will be held in Oslo, Norway next week to be led by Duterte's incoming peace process adviser Jesus Dureza, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello and Hernani Braganza.
Agcaoili said the NDF team will be composed of NDF Chairperson of the Negotiating Panel Luis Jalandoni, Connie Ledesma, Sison, two lawyers and himself.
It was learned that the agenda will include the resumption of the peace negotiations in accordance with the previously signed agreements; granting general amnesty to political prisoners; having an interim mutual ceasefire; and the possibility of accelerating the peace negotiations.
The NDF negotiator has met with Duterte for the third time in the early morning of Wednesday, June 8 to discuss about the nominations for the incoming members of the Cabinet.
Duterte offered four Cabinet posts to the CPP, which includes the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Agrarian Reform.
But Duterte decided that he would be heading the DENR because of the security issues surrounding the agency.
Agcaoili said the draft for the acceleration of the peace process is almost similar to the draft they submitted to the Aquino government in December 2014.
He said the time frame is six to nine months.
The six months, he said, will cover the discussion of the second substantive agenda which is the agreement on social and economic reforms.
He said while the second agreement is being negotiated, the other working groups for the political and constitutional reforms can start simultaneously.
Agcaoili said, although the time frame does not yet include the agreement on the end of hostilities and the disposition of forces, an agreement that can be reached on how to go about the last substantive agenda of the peace process can be achieved.
The four substantive agenda of the formal peace negotiations between the government and the NDF include human rights and international humanitarian law, socio-economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, and the end of hostilities and disposition of forces. MGP news
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