Two proposals for a just and lasting peace
Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chief Political Consultant, NDFP Negotiating Panel
July 27, 2010
The Negotiating Panel of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has repeatedly declared its readiness to resume peace negotiations with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) under the Aquino II administration. It has also signalled its willingness to receive in The Netherlands or Norway a senior emissary or a team of emissaries of said administration to discuss the possible course and perspective of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.
On my part, as chief political consultant of the NDFP Negotiating Panel, I have long proposed the resumption and acceleration of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations, especially with regard to social and economic reforms, in accordance with The Hague Joint Declaration and subsequent major agreements.
I have also gone so far as to propose a concept of immediate truce and alliance on the basis of a mutually acceptable declaration of principles and policies upholding national independence and democracy, confronting the basic problems of the Filipino people and adopting effective measures of social, economic and political reforms. It is unjust for anyone to expect that the revolutionary forces and the people to simply cease fire and surrender to a rotten ruling system that shuns patriotic and progressive demands and refuses to engage in basic reforms.
I hope that the Aquino II administration can consider seriously the two proposals for the benefit of the people. Like the NDFP, I welcome any serious step of said administration towards the attainment of a just peace and national unity by addressing the roots of the armed conflict and arriving with the revolutionary forces and the people at agreements on basic social, economic and political reforms.
I urge the Aquino II administration to override such counterrevolutionary notions as those previously spelled out by its officials that the military can get anything it wants despite the severe economic crisis and bankruptcy of the reactionary government, that the revolutionary forces and people surrender and that they can be destroyed and pacified in the next three years.
I challenge the Aquino II administration to reject the US Counterinsurgency Guide and take the path of seeking a concord of just peace and national unity with the NDFP by addressing the roots of the armed conflict and forging agreements on social, economic and political reforms. It is malicious and unjust to construe the people's resistance to injustice, oppression and exploitation as the problem rather than as the consequence of foreign and feudal domination.
Such monstrous problems as foreign monopoly capitalism, domestic feudalism and bureaucratic corruption are the longrunning and current causes of underdevelopment, unemployment, poverty and misery. All well-meaning forces and people must unite and work together to confront and solve these problems and work for a new and better Philippines that is truly free and democratic, socially just, progressive and peaceful.
On my part, as chief political consultant of the NDFP Negotiating Panel, I have long proposed the resumption and acceleration of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations, especially with regard to social and economic reforms, in accordance with The Hague Joint Declaration and subsequent major agreements.
I have also gone so far as to propose a concept of immediate truce and alliance on the basis of a mutually acceptable declaration of principles and policies upholding national independence and democracy, confronting the basic problems of the Filipino people and adopting effective measures of social, economic and political reforms. It is unjust for anyone to expect that the revolutionary forces and the people to simply cease fire and surrender to a rotten ruling system that shuns patriotic and progressive demands and refuses to engage in basic reforms.
I hope that the Aquino II administration can consider seriously the two proposals for the benefit of the people. Like the NDFP, I welcome any serious step of said administration towards the attainment of a just peace and national unity by addressing the roots of the armed conflict and arriving with the revolutionary forces and the people at agreements on basic social, economic and political reforms.
I urge the Aquino II administration to override such counterrevolutionary notions as those previously spelled out by its officials that the military can get anything it wants despite the severe economic crisis and bankruptcy of the reactionary government, that the revolutionary forces and people surrender and that they can be destroyed and pacified in the next three years.
I challenge the Aquino II administration to reject the US Counterinsurgency Guide and take the path of seeking a concord of just peace and national unity with the NDFP by addressing the roots of the armed conflict and forging agreements on social, economic and political reforms. It is malicious and unjust to construe the people's resistance to injustice, oppression and exploitation as the problem rather than as the consequence of foreign and feudal domination.
Such monstrous problems as foreign monopoly capitalism, domestic feudalism and bureaucratic corruption are the longrunning and current causes of underdevelopment, unemployment, poverty and misery. All well-meaning forces and people must unite and work together to confront and solve these problems and work for a new and better Philippines that is truly free and democratic, socially just, progressive and peaceful.
