Despite the cancellation of the peace talks, the Reciprocal Working Committee on Social and Economic Reforms (RWCSER) of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) launched their draft of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) on February 8 at the Institute of Biology Auditorium at University of the Philippines Diliman.
The NDFP RWCSER CASER draft incorporated the level of agreement between the Negotiating Panels and RWCSER of the NDFP and Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP). Both sides have agreed on the Outline of CASER and the text of the following: Preamble, PART I. Declaration of Principles, PART II. Bases, Scope and Applicability PART III. Developing the National Economy: A. Agrarian Reform and Rural Development, and B. National Industrialization and Economic Development.
The NDFP RWCSER also included in the book its unilateral draft of the following: PART III C. Environmental Protection, Rehabilitation and Compensation, PART IV. Upholding People’s Right – A. Rights of the Working People, B. Promoting Patriotic, Progressive and Pro-People Culture, PART V. Economic Sovereignty for National Development – A. Foreign Economic and Trade Relations, B. Financial, Monetary and Fiscal Policies, and C. Social and Economic Planning, PART VI. Overall Implementing Mechanism, and PART VII. Final Provisions.
“The publication of the NDFP Draft of the [CASER] is highly significant and useful in demonstrating that it is possible for the NDFP and the GRP to make a substantive agreement on social and economic reforms despite tremendous obstacles up to the present time and in preparing for better circumstances when the highest GRP officials come to the realization that it is wise to resume the peace negotiations because of the urgent need and clamor of the people,” said NDFP Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria Sison in his message for the book launch.
The launch coincided with Sison’s 79th birthday.
President Rodrigo Duterte issued Proclamation 360 on November 23, 2017 GRP, terminating the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations and Proclamation 374 on December 5, 2017, declaring the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People´s Army (two major components of the NDFP) as “terrorist” groups.
