Interfaith group calls for renewed peace talks

Church leaders in a broad alliance urged the incoming lawmakers to push for the resumption of peace talks between the government and the communist rebels.

The Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (PEPP) said the only way for lasting peace is to have the negotiations.

“We appeal to the incoming Representatives and Senators to work on the resumption of the peace process,” the PEPP said.

“The Filipino people deserve no less. Let us all work for the dawning of peace,” added the umbrella group of five church institutions,” it said.

The church leaders made the appeal due to supposed silence on the issue of peace talks.

“This is unfortunate since the peace negotiations is an issue that every Filipino should feel strongly about,” it said.

With the opening of the 18th Congress in July, the church leaders are hoping that the issue will get into the spotlight once again.

Last March, President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the government’s peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

The government has also sought the declaration of the communist movement as a terrorist organization.