AFP public affairs office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato
MANILA -- The laying down of arms by surrendered communist rebels in localized peace talks is a sign of goodwill, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, Col. Noel Detoyato, said Wednesday.
"In the local setting, rebels (of the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army) who decide to go back to mainstream society always brings with them their firearms as a sign of goodwill and confidence building," Detoyato said in a message to the Philippine News Agency (PNA) when asked about the value of yielding weapons during the peace process.
"(The) laying down of arms is always a big part of a peace process. In the UN (United Nations), it's also a part in the resolution of conflicts. DDR -- disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration," Detoyato said.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines.
Some 11,000 NPA fighters and supporters have surrendered to government troops since January 2018.
Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. earlier welcomed President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s desire to create a new peace panel noting that the committee will be tasked to “oversee” localized peace talks.
The panel, Galvez said, will act as “adviser for local peace dialogues through the establishment of protocols and other legal and systematic procedures.”
Galvez said the government will be “directly engaging the people on the ground to address the fundamentals of the problem” through the creation of the new peace panel. (PNA)
