Philippine peace talks threatened: NDF<\/p>\n
MANILA (AFP): A front organization for communist insurgents
\nwarned the Philippine government yesterday that moves to control
\nprotests against the forthcoming Asia-Pacific Economic
\nCooperation (APEC) summit were jeopardizing peace talks.<\/p>\n
In a statement faxed from the Netherlands, the National
\nDemocratic Front (NDF) criticized what it called \"repressive
\nmeasures\" by the government of President Fidel Ramos.<\/p>\n
It follows the arrest on Monday of 13 members of leftist
\ngroups caught by police pasting anti-APEC posters here.<\/p>\n
The NDF is regarded as a political front for the Communist
\nParty of the Philippines and its armed unit the New People's
\nArmy, which is outlawed by Manila but still active.<\/p>\n
\"The escalation of repressive measures by the Ramos regime
\njeopardizes the continuation of the... peace talks,\" NDF
\nchairman Luis Jalandoni said in the statement, referring to
\nongoing talks in the Netherlands, where the NDF maintains its
\ninternational offices.<\/p>\n
Manila and the communists are engaged in working out four
\nagreements aimed at forging a peace settlement to end the long-
\nrunning insurgency.<\/p>\n
The four agreements are aimed at laying the groundwork for a
\npeace deal by addressing points of contention. These include
\neconomic, political and electoral reforms, human rights issues
\nand how any peace agreement would be monitored and enforced.<\/p>\n
The government in Manila has imposed massive security the APEC
\nmeetings this month including the summit on Nov. 25 in the
\nnorthern port of Subic, which bring together national leaders
\nfrom around the Pacific.<\/p>\n
Ramos has said, however, that law enforcers would observe
\n\"maximum tolerance\" towards protesters.<\/p>\n
Leftist groups, widely believed to be allied to the communist
\ninsurgents, have been threatening to mount numerous protests
\nagainst the APEC meetings.<\/p>\n
The communist insurgency is scattered in remote areas of the
\nPhilippines and is said to be declining with some 5,000 armed
\nfighters compared to 25,000 in the mid-1980s.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a union official said yesterday ground crew of
\nPhilippine Airlines (PAL) will go on strike during the APEC
\nsummit, as talks with management are in deadlock.<\/p>\n
\"It (the strike) may be now or in the coming days but our
\nprotest will definitely be during the Asia Pacific Economic
\nCooperation (APEC)\" forum meetings, said Alexander Barrientos,
\npresident of the 8,500-member PAL Employees' Association.<\/p>\n
A strike during the APEC meetings by PAL ground crew, which
\nhandles ground services for other airlines, would paralyze
\noperations at Manila international airport, where hundreds of
\nAPEC delegates have been arriving since Monday.<\/p>\n
The strike call followed a PAL announcement on Sunday that it
\nanticipated an \"illegal\" strike at any moment by its pilots.<\/p>\n
The ground crew union went on a three-day strike earlier this
\nmonth to press for pay raises, but pickets were lifted after the
\ngovernment intervened and the union agreed to resume collective
\nbargaining with PAL management.<\/p>\n
Barrientos said the talks had again broken down.<\/p>\n
\"We don't see any effort on the part of management to improve
\nthe situation of the workers,\" Barrientos told reporters.<\/p>\n
PAL officials declined to comment on the strike threat before
\nthe board has decided on a plan of action.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/philippine-peace-talks-threatened-ndf-1447893297",
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