An atmosphere of euphoria, enhanced amity, and an improving level of mutual trust between the negotiating panels was so evident at the resumption of formal peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front, held recently in Oslo, Norway. When they converged at the venue (the Scandic Holmenkollen Park hotel atop a hill overlooking…
And so it has come to this. After stoking such high expectations about the resumption of peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and what the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) considers the top “security threat” in the country today — the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National…
This week the Philippine STAR is celebrating its 30th founding anniversary. I join its loyal readers in commending the editorial staff, the management, and the employees for the paper’s sustained growth and dedicated pursuance of its declared goal: that, through responsible reporting and opinion writing, truth shall prevail. Also I thank the Philippine STAR for…
Although he has yet to be inaugurated as the 16th President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte has already met with the leaders of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). His presumptive peace negotiators also met with the leaders of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) last…
“This is a very bad sign for the peace talks.”
“He shows his bad faith, selfishness and incorrigible penchant for cruelty by putting in advance of formal talks his precondition that he will continue to violate Jasig and CAHRIHL and further on by allowing the issuance of warrants of arrest against NDFP consultants in connection with the baseless and false Hilongos charge.”
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star Only 18 months remain of President Aquino’s six-year term. He bows out in July 2016. In the new-year spirit of fulfilling a resolution — or an electoral-campaign promise he made in April 2010 — will P-Noy resume formal peace talks with the National Democratic…
It has been 22 years since the signing of the landmark agreement The Hague Joint Declaration of 1992, which provided the framework for the peace negotiations between the Government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star Last week’s column dwelt on the serious conflict between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front arising from Malacanang’s “heavy dilution” of the draft Bangsamoro Basic Law — intended to implement the GPH-MILF comprehensive peace agreement signed in March — that President Aquino…
By Satur C. Ocampo At Ground Level | The Philippine Star Thirty-three years ago the late Jose W. Diokno, eminent senator, human rights defender and quintessential nationalist, identified four “basic problems” of Philippine society, thus: 1. Widespread deep poverty among our people and inequality in wealth, privilege, and power; 2. Although supposedly independent, we are…
Duterte: The government should honor what we have committed to the people and to the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines).