Malacañang said Thursday that President Rodrigo Duterte will issue an executive order to spell out the seven guiding frameworks to engage armed rebels in localized peace talks.
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque confirmed in a press briefing that Cabinet members and members of the Bangsamoro Transition Council agreed on the matter during the special cluster meeting between Security, Justice, and Peace committees.
The meeting was attended by members of the Cabinet, Senate President Vicente Sotto III, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, and few members of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, including Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano and Angeles City Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan.
Following the terms set by the President to Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, Roque said that should Sison refuse to discuss the issues in the country, the government will give local government officials the authority to engage the rebels in localized peace talks.
Roque then cited seven guiding frameworks as agreed upon during the meeting held Wednesday night.
“One, it is nationally orchestrated, centrally directed, and locally supervised and implemented. Two, the constitutional integrity and sovereignty will not be compromised. Three, complete and genuine resolution of the local armed conflict, it shall cover the New Peoples’ Army, organs of political power and Militia ng Bayan,” he said.
“Four, if there is a ceasefire, the constitutional mandate of the state to protect public safety, civilian welfare, critical infrastructure and private properties and the guarantee of rule of law and order will not be compromised at all times. Five, government goodwill, full amnesty package based on disarmament, demobilization, rehabilitation and reintegration to the mainstream of society.
“Six, the necessary enabling environment set by the President for the formal local talks to proceed are the local venue, no coalition government or power-sharing, no revolutionary taxes, extortion, arson and violent activities and the fighters to remain in their pre-designated encampment areas. Seven, the substantive agenda will be based on the Medium-Term Philippine Development Plan and Philippine Development Program 2040,” Roque said.
Roque said that there would be four types of localized peace engagement including localized peace talks, community dialogue, local peace package, and confidential dialogue.
“The localized peace talks will be between the local peace channel and the local fighters for leadership,” said Roque. “While the community dialogue will be an informal open communication line and liaison network to facilitate peace package, social media exploitation, community pressure on the fighters to participate in the local peace process.”
“For the local peace package, it will be a direct availment of the Government of the Philippines peace initiative intended to provide the integration and mainstreaming support without going through process of peace negotiation while the confidential dialogue [will be] undertaken to a combatant armed group who desires to lie low without open documentation and will not avail of the peace package program.”
Roque reiterated that the planned executed order will spell out all the mentioned guidelines agreed during the said meeting.
