Leftists claim military violating ceasefire agreement
The leftist National Democratic Front (NDF) has raised alleged violations by the military in its ceasefire.
In a press conference in Quezon City on Friday, Adel Silva, NDF consultant, said the military's continued violations of the ceasefire have "becoming untenable."
Tirso Alcantara, member of the ceasefire committee of the NDF, said their people on the ground received complaints regarding the presence of government troopers in the community, resulting to the harassment of the civilians.
He specifically cited the harassment of indigenous peoples in Montalban, Rizal where a hydro-electric power plant was being built.
During the meeting on October 26 by the ceasefire committees of both sides in Norway , Alcantara said they would assess the implementation of their respective unilateral ceasefires.
While there could be ceasefire violations, Silva said, "at the same time, we recognize there's also a level of success because there was no actual breakout of skirmishes."
Asked if an interim bilateral ceasefire could be be forged when they meet next month, the NDF consultants could not give yet a categorical statement.
Last August, President Rodrigo Duterte declared an indefinite unilateral ceasefire, which the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-NDF reciprocated.
In the same press conference, Ed Villegas, also NDF consultant, said when the second round of talks in Oslo resume on October 6 to 10, they would discuss the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-economic Reforms (CASER), "the most substantive agenda of the ongoing peace negotiations."
He identified 19 industries, which the leftist rebel group believes the Philippines could be self-sustaining.
Among the industries include oil, steel, heavy machinery, cement, electric, electronic, chemical, wood processing, plastic, construction, consumer goods, food and beverage, computer, clothing and pipes.
Villegas expressed belief if Filipinos would only cultivate these industries on their own, no Filipinos would seek jobs abroad.
Alan Jazmines, an NDF consultant, said the level of national industrialization has been getting smaller because of the growing "false services sector like the BPO (business process outsourcing)."
The NDF said both sides hope to finish the CASER agenda in six months time in order to proceed with the next agenda of the peace process.
Formal peace negotiation between the government and the NDF only resumed in August after it bogged down in February 2011 under the Aquino administration. Celerina Monte
