The Philippines has been talking on and off since 1986 with the
National Democratic Front, the political arm of the Communist Party of
the Philippines, to end nearly 50 years of conflict that has killed more
than 40,000 people.
PHILIPPINES-REBELS/Philippine govt, rebels to cease hostilities to aid peace talks
The Philippines and communist guerrillas
are planning to each declare ceasefires before formal peace talks
resume next month in Norway, the first in 30 years, government and
rebels negotiators said on Tuesday.
The Philippines has been talking on and off since 1986 with the National Democratic Front,
the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines, to end
nearly 50 years of conflict that has killed more than 40,000 people.
The process stalled four years ago, when Manila declined to free political prisoners.
"After we resume talks formally, we declare a unilateral ceasefire," Silvestre Bello,
the incoming labour minister and a peace negotiator, told reporters in
the southern region of Davao, days after returning from informal talks
with exiled rebel leaders in Oslo.
Both sides agreed to resume talks in Norway after the incoming government of Rodrigo Duterte
offered to free about 20 jailed rebel negotiators and some ailing
political prisoners. Hopes are high that Duterte's cordial relations
with the rebels could bolster any peace deal.
"It is possible we will have a separate but coordinated and simultaneous ceasefire with the government," Luis Jalandoni, a rebel negotiator, told Reuters by telephone from his base in Utrecht, Netherlands.
"We will still discuss the mode and timeframe of the truce, but we can easily agree to a simultaneous ceasefire."
Bello
said he expected the truce to be in place before Duterte attends a
joint session of Congress for his first State of the Nation address on
July 25.
The two sides had agreed to a ceasefire
in 1986 but it ended two months later when police opened fire at
protesting farmers near the presidential palace, killing 13 people.
Bello said a third party, a foreign country, may be asked to monitor the ceasefire implementation.
He
said the government expected peace talks to run for nine to 12 months
and reach agreement on key economic, social, political and electoral
reforms, including land reform and nationalisation of some industries.
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