Manila, rebels set date for talks

Manila, rebels set date for talks

MANILA (DPA): The Philippine government and the communist National Democratic Front (NDF) have set a date for the resumption of their peace negotiations following the release of a captured guerrilla commander, authorities said yesterday.

Romeo Capulong, counsel for the NDF peace negotiating team, said the first round of talks has been scheduled to take place March 13-17 in either Utrecht or the Hague in the Netherlands.

"We are pushing each other to exert our best efforts to reach an agreement on the first talking point by the end of March," Capulong said. The two sides are expected to discuss human rights issues in their first meeting.

Earlier this month, the NDF and Manila agreed to resume stalled peace talks after the government promised during "backroom negotiations" to work for the release of a captured rebel commander Danilo Borjal before March.