The National Democratic Front consultants on Monday said it was their government counterparts who advised them that their Nov. 23 meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte will not push through, thus prompting their decision to cancel their return to Manila “for the meantime.”
NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili said he was advised by Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza that he should no longer push through with his trip.
“Yes, [we will not go there] for the meantime. The GRP panel advised me not to continue [my trip to Manila],” Agcaoili told Manila Standard in an interview Monday.
Asked if the cancellation of the meetings between the government and the leftist group stemmed from the alleged threats against the communist leaders’ lives, Agcaoili said the government panel members did not disclose anything about such threats.
“They did not say anything [about the arrest], but they told us that the appointment with the President was canceled. Just like that,” he said.
“Yes, he [Dureza] even announced it. We were told that we would meet with Secretary Dureza and Secretary Panelo before the appointment with the President on Nov. 23,” he added.
Asked on the possible reason for the cancellation of the meeting with Duterte, Agcaoili said that he does not know anything about it.
“They should answer that question. Even I don’t know about it,” he said.
Malacañang, however, said that the Duterte administration has not canceled any talks with the representatives of the NDFP.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said the informal talk with the communists, which will serve as the backchannel talk for the resumption of the peace talks, has not been canceled.
“There is no cancellation of any informal talk, what we have is one of them saying that he is afraid of being arrested. And we’re saying that you cannot be arrested if you would want to have a talk,” Panelo told ANC.
Panelo even assured that NDFP leaders will not be arrested once they set foot in the country even as Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año earlier threatened to arrest Agcaoili and his fellow NDFP consultant Luis Jalandoni when they arrive in the Philippines.
“Certainly, [I’m giving the assurance] because how can we be talking if they will be coming in just to be arrested. As I said, Secretary Año was only saying that on the basis of the cancellation the peace talks. So, if there are any informal talks then that would not apply,” said Panelo, reiterating that Jalandoni, who earlier canceled his trip amid the warning from Ano, would not be arrested if he would come to the country for the talks.
The Palace official explained that both he and Dureza were instructed to meet with the NDFP leaders to look for any “compelling reason” for President Duterte to resume the peace talks.
“That was the marching order. We will have to sit down and discuss if we can agree on terms and conditions prior to the talks,” he said.
“The plan is for us to talk to them informally and then we can suggest to the President how we’re going to go about the resumption of the peace talks if we so desire if we agree on terms and conditions of the peace talks,” Panelo added.
He said the government wants to push through with backchannel talks so as to make sure that the communist leaders will not be violating any conditions or terms of the peace talks.
“We need to talk, if you recall, there have been violations of the terms of the peace talks that is precisely why that was canceled… I think it’s better if we talk personally rather than on the phone given the technology,” said Panelo.
Asked why the DILG chief has mentioned the arrest of the communist leaders, Panelo said that the NDFP officials have been charged before with a crime of rebellion.
“The crime is rebellion and because of the peace talks, the court granted them temporary freedom. If that is the basis of the grant of temporary liberty then the moment you cancel the talks then there is no more basis for any grant of freedom coming from the court,” said Panelo.
“[But] it goes without saying that if there is a resumption of any informal talks or formal peace talks, Secretary Año would not be effecting any arrest,” he assured.
Panelo said he is hopeful that the government and the communists would “agree” on the terms and conditions to resume the peace talks.
“Well, hopefully, as I said, we have to agree on the terms and condition. We have to make sure that they will not be violating any condition as they did before – the very reason why the talk has been canceled,” he said.
“If we agree on the resumption of peace talks then we will agree on the date and time of the peace talks. And hence, there can be no warrant of arrest on effect during the talks,” he added.
On Sunday, Dureza announced that the President tasked him and Panelo to lead the informal meeting with the representatives of the communist rebels in a bid to push through with the peace talks.
Duterte, however, has yet to declare if the meeting with the NDFP leaders will push through or not as he earlier vowed to announce the commencement of the meetings upon his arrival from the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Singapore and the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings in Papua New Guinea.
The President returned to the country on Sunday evening after a week-long official visit.