Duterte's Political Strategy Will Be The Key For Peace Talks

The never ending peace talks between the current government and communist rebels is about the President Rodrigo Duterte's political beliefs and relationship with the left, a government peace panel said.

Hernani Braganza said that the gains in the peace talks under the Duterte government in its first 100 days would have taken around three years if we had chosen a different administration. Duterte's administration acts the promises he made during the campaign for the presidential seat.

“The success of any peace talks depends on the sitting president. What we have achieved today, maybe we can achieve in less than three years under one president,” Braganza said.

The personal relationship of Duterte with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), even before his term as Davao mayor was already a big factor in building trust and confidence but be warned that the talks can be marred by internal political squabbles if not addressed immediately, Braganza also explained.

“This is the first time na nagkaroon ng mabilis na formal talks because our mandate is to settle this through a formal political settlement and by doing that, you avoid violence in the process,” Braganza added.

The current government and the NDFP agreed to make amends their separate unilateral ceasefire declarations into a single unified bilateral ceasefire during their talks in Oslo, Norway last month.

Even if he thinks that the left has not really fully abandoned armed struggle, the peace talks are slowly showing an output for political settlement.

“I don’t think they (NDFP) have abandoned the armed struggle but the mere fact that they’re giving importance to the peace process, to settle this politically across the table at hindi tayo nagbabarilan, by itself, I do think it’s a shift,” he said.

The two parties also agreed to reconsider previous agreements and reconstitute the list of political consultants immune from arrest.

He was also asked about the issue of general amnesty, Braganza only said such a declaration would benefit both parties.

"An amnesty declaration of the president approved by Congress would not only benefit the left, it would also benefit the armed men on the government side who have been charged," Braganza said.

The peace talks will be finished within a year since talks began last month, Braganza explained. And the reforms in both sides agreed that it can be initially be implemented before the mid-term elections in 2019.

He also explained that more than the peace talks, the government should look into social and economic reforms which are the ultimate end of the settlement.

“They have to build on these reforms but finished or not finished, the reforms of the Duterte administration will continue,” he said.

The negotiation between the government peace panel and the communist rebels is scheduled to resume on October 6.

Source: ABS-CBN