THE NATIONAL Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) said it is “willing and ready” to resume the stalled peace talks with the government as it welcomed last week’s release of 10 political prisoners. “This is a step in the right direction, despite being quite partial and belated, and should immediately be followed up with the soonest release of more than 400 other political prisoners, some of whom have long been imprisoned,” NDFP said in a statement issued over the weekend. The communist group said some of the political prisoners could “significantly contribute in the current talks on socioeconomic reforms given their decades of leadership in the struggles of peasants and workers in the country.” Informal meetings between government and NDFP representatives are scheduled this month to discuss terms for the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER), considered as one of the most crucial points in the peace process. The government temporarily withdrew from negotiations scheduled last May 27 to June 1 following a directive issued by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), to intensify its offensive operations amid the declaration of martial law and suspension of habeas corpus in Mindanao. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello II, chief negotiator of the government peace panel, earlier confirmed that the fifth round of talks with the NDFP will resume in August.

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