Navigating the Red maze (2)

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.

10-14 June 2001 — The second round of peace talks in Oslo is abruptly halted after suspected NPA militants assassinated Cagayan Representative Rodolfo Aguinaldo. Subsequent formal talks are suspended, but back-channel discussions continue between the two parties throughout 2002.

9 August 2002 — Negotiations come to a standstill after the US designated the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization, drawing condemnation from the NDF and casting a shadow over the discussions between the two parties.

29 January 2003 — The NDF rejects the government's draft of a final peace accord, but informal talks persist in The Hague and Oslo.

10-14 February 2004 — The first round of formal peace negotiations takes place in Oslo. The parties discuss the resolution of the listing of the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization and the formation of the Joint Monitoring Committee.

28 March–3 April 2004 — The second round of formal peace negotiations unfolds, with discussions revolving around the terror designation and the release of political prisoners.

April 2004 — CARHRIHL's Joint Monitoring Committee is created.

22-24 June 2004 — The third round of peace talks is held.

24 August 2004 — Peace talks collapse following the US decision to keep the CPP-NPA on its list of terrorist organizations.

February 2010 — The NDFP closes the door to the prospect of further talks with the government.

Evidently, despite efforts to rekindle formal peace talks and the government's avowal of peace through the "Six Paths to Peace" during the administration of President Gloria Arroyo, progress in the formal peace negotiations remained elusive.

(To be continued)