Ceasefire Mechanisms In 60 Days – Dureza

Sec. Jesus Dureza assured that the bilateral ceasefire declared by the government and CPP-NPA will be strengthened with the drafting of the mechanisms.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza assured that the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) will finish the mechanisms of the indefinite ceasefire within the next sixty (60) days.

Dureza, who attended the formal peace talks with CPP founder Jose Maria Sison’s negotiating group, said that they will have to complete the mechanisms of the agreed ceasefire to make it a bilateral ceasefire.

Dureza ceasefire
Sec. Jesus Dureza at Norway.

The government and the CPP-NPA separately declared unilateral ceasefire with each other before the reconvening of he peace talks in Oslo, Norway.

The drafting of the mechanisms and other requirements to complete the ceasefire agreement will be led by Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Sec. Silvestre Bello III and the National Democratic Front (NDF, the political and negotiating arm of the CPP-NPA).

Dureza explained that he needs to create a mechanism such as joint monitoring team who will look closely to possible violations of both parties to the ceasefire.

“Sixty days from now, both sides will complete mechanisms that will make it a bilateral ceasefire. Ngayon kasi nag-coincide lang yung unilateral ceasefire (It is only now that the unilateral ceasefire of both parties has coincided)” said Dureza.

Oslo ceasefire
Both parties in the negotiating table at Oslo.

Apart from this, according to Dureza, both parties have also agreed to have a timetable for political, economic and constitutional reforms and to activate the Reciprocal Working Committee (RWC) on the Comprehensive Agreement on Soci-Economic Reforms (CASER), Reciprocal Working Groups (RWGs) on Political and Constitutional Reforms (PCR) at the End of the Hostilities-Disposition of Forces (EOH-DOF).

Coming September, the both parties will commence with the exchanging of drafts and they aim to finish the Political and Constitutional Reforms of the Reciprocal Working Groups in six months.

The Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) will also be strengthened and both parties will meet at the Norwegian Embassy in Taguig City next month.

On October 8 to 12, the Government Peace Panel will fly back to Norway to discuss and strengthen the results of the drafts by different committees in the ground.

Duza and his team just got back to the Philippine August 29 afternoon from Oslo, Norway after a week of negotiation with the NDFP.

Leave a Comment