PRESS STATEMENT: SUMMITEERS WELCOMES REVIVAL OF PEACE NEGOTIATION
  18 July 2007

The Armed Forces of the Philippines in its genuine desire to contribute to the formulation of a solution to the problem of extrajudicial killings and enforced diappearances participated in the Supreme Court initiated two-day National Consultative Summit on Extrajudicial Killings and Enforced Disappearances (held at Manila Hotel on July 17-18, 2007). Objective of the said summit is the search for a holistic solution to the problem of extrajudicial killing and enforced disappearances. Participants/summiteers were divided into groups to interact and examine the legal process and come up with recommendations on how we can collectively address the problem.

The Armed Forces' participation in the summit is a manifestation of the organization's collective desire to attain lasting peace for like anyone else, the AFP have been longing for peace for it bears the brunt of the cost of lives in protecting our citizens.Soldiers are the first to shed blood in protecting the peole. With clearance from the President, General Hermogenes C Esperon Jr, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, disclosed his earlier recommendation made to senior officials and the President for the revival of the peace negotiation with the CPP/NPA/NDF with the precondition that a three year bilateral ceasefire be declared. The Armed Forces is very happy to note that said recommendation was well received and welcomed by the summiteers. Said AFP recommendation formed part of the summit's final recommendation of actions to be undertaken.

Included in the final recommendation is the call for all sectors/stakeholders to denounce and condemn violence and adherence to armed struggle. The Armed Forces of the Philippines commits that will actively continue involving itself in the quest for answers to problems of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances.