CHIEF negotiator Silvestre Bello III said Sunday President Rodrigo Duterte was determined to uphold the human rights of political dissenters even as he continued to seek a negotiated political settlement with the communist rebels.
He said that was his response to the list of alleged violations of the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law that the human rights group Karapatan submitted before the opening of the third round of peace talks in Rome.
The government and the communist National Democratic Front on Saturday signed the supplemental guidelines for the full operation of the Joint Monitoring Committee under the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, moving the peace negotiations another step toward a final peace settlement.
Bello said the signing was a concrete manifestation of the Duterte administration’s adherence to and respect for human rights and international humanitarian law.
He made his statement even as Armed Forces spokesman Restituto Padilla said they were exercising caution by not issuing any comments on human rights issues at the third round of peace talks in Rome.
Padilla has refused to answer the questions sent to his mobile phone, unlike Army spokesman Benjamin Hao who is more accommodating.
“The guidance here in the Army and also from higher-ups is to wait for the signed agreement before we make comments,” Hao said.
Bello said as far as he was concerned there had been no acts committed by the president that would constitute any violations of the CARHRIHL.
“The track record of President Duterte will speak for itself. He has always upheld the rights of political dissenters and respected their human rights,” Bello said in defending the President.
“Some may [may not like] his unconventional approach in addressing peace and order issues in the country, but he has always maintained high respect for political dissent.”
Nevertheless, Bello said the government will investigate the cases submitted by the National Democratic Front and allied organizations.
He said the signing of the supplemental agreement put into motion the operationalization of the joint monitoring committee.
But the government also submitted the acts committed by rebel forces that he said violated some provisions of the CARHRIHL, among them the torching of buses and heavy equipment by New People’s Army rebels.
All these allegations of violations from both sides will be addressed, Bello said.
“Hopefully, the JMC will expedite the forging of a bilateral ceasefire agreement that will address the alleged issues of government violations and provocative and prohibited acts of NPA rebels,” Bello said.
The signing of the supplemental guidelines was the first agreement signed by both parties under the Duterte government.
All previous documents signed in the August and October rounds of talks were joint statements and declarations.
“In just five months we have already scored a victory for the Filipino people,” Bello said.
The CARHRIHL primarily encourages all victims of violations and abuses of human rights or their surviving families due to the armed conflict to come forward with their complaints and evidence.