Philippine leftist group to keep panel, offices in case govt returnsto talks
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said Thursday that it will not abolish its panel as well as its offices in the Netherlands so that in the event that the Aquino administration decides to go back to the negotiating table, the leftist group is ready.
The CPP, the umbrella organization of the New People's Army ( NPA) and the National Democratic Front (NDF), denied that there was a rift among their leaders as accused by the Philippine government due to the alleged "disconnect" between the Netherlands- based leadership and the people on the ground.
"In the interest of pursuing the path of peace negotiations, the local leadership NDF has kept the offices of the negotiating panel based in Utrecht, the Netherlands open in the event that the Aquino regime changes its mind and heeds the people's demand to resume formal peace negotiations with the NDF," it said.
The leadership and entire membership of the CPP and all revolutionary forces are fully behind the NDF negotiating panel headed by Luis Jalandoni and chief political consultant Jose Maria Sison, the group said.
The Philippine government has blamed the leftist rebels for stalling the peace talks.
Government officials have said that due to the NDF's preconditions, the regular track or formal talks and even the special track could not move forward. They said the negotiation, particularly the regular track, has been going nowhere for the past 27 years.
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