I SPEAK as one of the national leaders specially mentioned and invited
to join a government of national unity, which has been proposed by
Speaker Jose de Venecia and approved by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
President Macapagal-Arroyo and Speaker de Venecia might have all
the good intentions in the world in putting forward the concept of
a government of national unity. But I think that uniting revolutionary
and reactionary forces is easier said than done, especially because
they do not have any common platform for asserting national independence
against foreign domination.
The next few weeks or even the entire run of 18 months before the
current president steps down from office will not be enough for uniting
the competing parties of the pro-US exploiting classes of big compradors
and landlords. On the contrary, the contradictions among the reactionary
factions are already sharpening under the stress of the severe domestic
and global economic crisis.
As far as I know, the revolutionary forces allied within the NDFP
do not find any basis for joining a government under the current presidency.
But they welcome the face value of Macapagal-Arroyo's announcement
of her desire to concentrate on social and economic problems and to
seek national unity. They see a glimmer of hope that
she is now more inclined than before to engage in peace negotiations
with the NDFP.
For the time being, they wish her to demonstrate by deeds more resolve
to resume the peace negotiations with the NDFP in accordance with
The Hague Joint Declaration and without placing the NDFP negotiators,
consultants, staffers and supporters under the duress of being designated
as "terrorist" by the US and other imperialist powers.
When Speaker de Venecia met UN judge Romeo T. Capulong last December
30, they discussed more than anything else the question of resuming
the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. Nevertheless, to whatever extent
Speaker de Venecia broached the concept of a national unity government;
it is the prerogative of the GRP to explain such a concept to the
NDFP in the course of peace negotiations.
I welcome the suggestion of some friendly quarters, mostly peace
advocates, that Speaker de Venecia, Senate majority floor leader Sen.
Loren Legarda, GRP negotiating panel chairman Silvestre Bello III
and DAR secretary Hernani Braganza visit us in The Netherlands in
order to iron out kinks and pave the way for the formal talks of the
GRP and NDFP negotiating panels in Oslo, Norway.
The GRP and NDFP should build on the ten agreements that they have
forged since 1992. They should frustrate the attempt of the US to
sabotage the peace negotiations by usurping jurisdiction over the
actions of the New People's Army in the Philippines and criminalizing
as "terrorists" the revolutionary forces for national liberation
and democracy. All negotiators, consultants, staffers and other duly authorized
persons in the peace negotiations must be protected by the Joint Agreement
on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) from the "terrorist"
witch-hunting of the Bush administration.
The GRP and NDFP have committed themselves to the Comprehensive Agreement
on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL)
and should carry forward its implementation through the formation
of the Joint Monitoring Committee. Both the JASIG and CARHRIHL should
effectively place the allied organizations of the NDFP beyond the
pale of witch-hunting by the US and other imperialist powers under
the guise of anti-terrorism.
It is urgent that the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations tackle the social
and economic problems and forge a comprehensive agreement on social
and economic reforms within the next six months. Thereafter, it becomes
possible to negotiate political and constitutional reforms.
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Prof. Sison is the Founding Chairman of the Communist Party of the
Philippines and
Chief Political Consultant of the National Democratic Front of the
Philippines.
