We continue to delve into the timeline of peace talks with the CPP-NPA.

PRESIDENT JOSEPH ESTRADA (1998-2001)

August 1998 — He breathed life into the spirit of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, or CARHRIHL, by affixing to it his signature. Both parties agree that honor for human rights and dedication to the ideals of international humanitarian law are the essential steps toward embracing a peace that is not just fleeting, but enduring.

24 February 1999 — Estrada puts a pause to the peace talks and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees, or JASIG, shortly after the New People's Army seized four military officers, including the late Brigadier General Victor Obillo.

29 May 1999 — The National Democratic Front of the Philippines acknowledges the government's "de facto termination" of the peace talks, just 48 hours following the Senate's ratification of the Visiting Forces Agreement — a deal brokered between the Estrada administration and the US, which the NDF criticized as a breach of the Philippines' sovereignty and Constitution.

31 May 1999 — The NDFP brings the talks to an end, alleging that the government had infringed upon the principle of national sovereignty outlined in The Hague Joint Declaration by ratifying the Visiting Forces Agreement.

1 July 1999 — The government terminates the JASIG, and it remains inactive throughout Estrada's presidency.

PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO (2001-2010)

March 2001 — The government and the CPP-NPA-NDF engage in informal discussions and agree to recommence formal negotiations the following month. The reinstatement marks a significant step toward renewed dialogue and potential peace progress.

27-30 April 2001 — Peace talks are reignited in Oslo, Norway, as government panel head Silvestre Bello III and NDF chairperson Luis Jalandoni issue the Oslo Joint Communique — announcing their commitment to collaborate on various initiatives, including the "accelerated release" of prisoners and detainees identified by human rights organizations, the revocation of "repressive decrees," and the repatriation of internally displaced communities to their rightful lands.