19 February 2004 – Certain claims that the 14 February 2004 RP-GRP Oslo Joint Statement explicitly or implicitly calls for the Philippines to have Mr. Sison and the CPP/NPA removed from the international terrorist listing of several states is a bit unfair and cannot be inferred from the wording of the statement or the actions and statements of the Philippine Government, according to Acting Secretary Rafeal E. Seguis, who is also the DFA Undersecretary in charge of the peace process.  However, Acting Secretary Seguis also proposed a possible solution.

“There seems to be a genuine difference of opinion on what the words in the Joint Declaration mean with regard to the issue of terrorist listing. A plain reading of the Joint Statement will show that there was no commitment on the part of the Philippines to have Mr. Sison and the CPP/NPA delisted.  In fact, it has been very clear from the very beginning that more than anything else, the listing of Mr. Sison and the CPP/NPA was based on the objective assessment of sovereign states that Mr. Sison and his group, no matter how they may call themselves, qualify as international terrorists,” Acting Secretary Seguis said.

“We did not and could not promise to have them removed from the list, for this is something that we do not have and therefore cannot give.  I would like to reitrate what we have said countless times before, that Mr. Sison and the CPP/NPA were put on that list by discerning and sovereign governments based on the actions of Mr. Sison and the CPP/NPA.  I sincerely believe that it will also be their own categorical act that will bring about their removal from lists that label them as international terrorists; and this act is to cast their lot for true and meaningful peace, this act is the signing of a final peace agreement.”

“We certainly understand the concern of Mr. Sison and the CPP/NPA over the terrorist listing.  On 1 May 2004, when the European Union expands and adds ten more members, ten more countries will place Mr. Sison and the NPA on their lists of international terrorists.  We note that some of these new EU members had shared some similar ideological foundations with Mr. Sison and his group,” Acting Secretary Seguis explained.

Acting Secretary Seguis said that the Department fully supports the “GRP Panel’s Clarification Statement” of 18 February 2004 on this issue.

“The legal and moral basis for delisting should be established.  Asking for delisting will be futile when the NPA continues to resort to violence.  The fact that the NPA continues to subvert, through terror, violence and intimidation, one of the most sacred rights of the citizenry, that of freely selecting their own leaders, makes it most difficult for sovereign states, who also hold this right sacred, to even consider removing them from their terrorist lists,” Acting Secretary Seguis said.

“As Secretary Albert and Secretary Ople have said before, we anticipate that when peace is achieved, when violence becomes a thing of the past, when our political and ideological differences are settled in the public arena and not in the battlefield, the countries of the world will welcome this achievement and it would be most difficult for them to maintain the position that Mr. Sison is an international terrorist and that the CPP/NPA is an international terrorist organization,” Acting Secretary Seguis said.

As a possible solution, Acting Secretary Seguis said that the parties might want to resort to asking the assistance of the Third Party facilitator.

“We would be willing to consider referring this matter to the Third Party facilitator, if this is acceptable to the Royal Government of Norway and to the NDF. One of the traditional roles of a third party facilitator is to help the parties work out the meanings and intentions attached to words, phrases or sentences.   Our Third Party facilitator was present during the negotiations and could appreciate the context and intentions of the parties with regard to specific formulations and could possibly lay to rest the differences in opinion between the GRP and the NDF and thereby give the peace process a needed boost.  I intend to fully discuss this matter with Secretary Albert and with the GRP panel.  It is my hope that this will be a solution that could place the peace process on an even firmer footing,” Acting Secretary Seguis said.

On the personal attacks that have been made against the late Secretary Blas F. Ople, Acting Secretary Rafael Seguis said that he “personally regrets that some people have decided to besmirch the name of a great public servant.  I personally deplore these statements against a man who can no longer defend himself.  They do a great dishonor to the memory of Secretary Ople.  But I am sure that Secretary Ople himself would not want to dignify these allegations and would prefer to focus instead on ensuring the success of the peace process.”
END.