The government of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front (NDFP) have reached an agreement to reset peace negotiations aimed at ending the 50-year conflict. The joint statement, which was facilitated by Norway and signed in Oslo, was announced last Tuesday.
The signatories included Philippines Special Advisor to the President Antonio Lagdemeo Jr., Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., and General Emmanuel Bautista, along with NDFP representatives Luis Jalandoni, Julieta de Lima, and Coni Ledesma. The agreement cites “socioeconomic and environmental issues,” along with “foreign security threats facing the country” as reasons for the renewal of peace negotiations.
The peace negotiations had previously stalled in 2017. Former President Rodrigo Duterte ended talks and declared the NDFP’s affiliated New Peoples Army (NPA) a terrorist organization. Al Jazeera reported Duterte’s declaration at the time. The NDFP has expressed that the recent agreement affirms the value of peace negotiations for settling the armed conflict and moving toward socioeconomic and political reform.
In a comment to the press, Galvez explained that the previous peace negotiations would not be renewed – they would “start anew.” Galvez further stated his hope that the framework for a peace deal would be worked out by the mid-first quarter of next year.
This agreement may bring some hope that one of the longest armed conflicts in Asia could come to a close. The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) was founded by Jose Maria Sison in 1969 as a response to the pervasive corruption, inequality, and brutality under Ferdinand Marcos Sr.’s regime. Marcos Sr.’s rule was marred by human rights abuses and corruption. The NPA engaged in a guerilla war with the Marcos regime that remained even after the dictator’s ousting in 1986.
The NPA’s movement reportedly grew to include 26,000 fighters before it weakened in the 1990s due to infighting and diminishing support from faltering socialist governments globally. As of now, the NPA is said to have fewer than 2,000 fighters, while the conflict has claimed more than 40,000 lives.
This development comes one year after the founder of the CPP, Sison, passed away. His widow, Julieta de Lima, who signed the recent agreement, acknowledged the road to peace in her statement. She emphasized that the quest for real peace has “no shortcuts” and that there are still many significant issues that need to be addressed by the parties to advance peace negotiations.
The Philippines remains affected by insurgencies from Islamic successionist movements and other communist-affiliated splinter groups. This peace talk reset, therefore, marks a crucial step toward resolving the decades-long fight. However, the road to genuine and lasting peace in the country still looks set to present some significant challenges.