Peace month opens with anniversary of The Hague Joint Declaration:

Peace advocates urge parties to revisit hallmark agreement and overcome obstacles to resuming GRP-NDFP peace negotiation

A press statement by the Pilgrims for Peace urging parties to resume peace negotiation
September 1, 2025

As September is Peace Month, Pilgrims for Peace joins with peace advocates around the world in rekindling hope for peacebuilding that addresses the roots of armed conflict.

This is an appropriate juncture to reflect on the developments in our peace accompaniment with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). We have not heard from the two Parties, with almost two years since their November 28, 2023 Oslo Joint Statement, saying they would move toward formal peace negotiations.

There are indeed obstacles to resuming the talks, and these must be overcome. These include widespread violations of human rights and international humanitarian law and the ‘weaponization of the law’ under terrorism legislation (namely the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012), which make peace talks nearly impossible. In many areas, peacebuilding has been muted or maligned with the NTF-ELCAC’s proliferation of ‘fear-and-terror’ operations. The so-called ‘whole-of-nation approach’ has led to deplorable red-tagging, terrorist-labeling, and criminalization of dissent with military operations that blur the lines between civilian governance and military objectives.

With September 1, 2025 marking 33 years since the signing of The Hague Joint Declaration, Pilgrims for Peace encourages the two Parties to consider again what can make for peace.

The Hague Joint Declaration provides a worthy framework for addressing the root causes of the armed conflict. Not only did it lead to the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) but it was also instrumental in arriving at a common draft of the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms (CASER), which was nearing finalization. The two Parties can reaffirm agreements and drafts and move forward from there to negotiate on the third and fourth items on the peace agenda: political and constitutional reforms and the disposition of forces and end of hostilities.

We acknowledge that difficult economic and environmental realities as well as foreign security threats facing the country are sensible and worthy grounds for productive peace negotiations. Given the long silence since the November 23, 2023 Oslo Joint Statement, perhaps the two Parties can already reaffirm The Hague Joint Declaration as a framework agreement and continue.

As peace advocates, we enter the September Peace Month ready to work in overcoming obstacles to genuine peacebuilding. We reiterate our call to remove the terrorist designation of the NDFP, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA), as well as NDFP personnel under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020. We guard against warmongers and peace spoilers as they seek to continue instigating obstacles to resuming the talks. Let us take stock of previously crafted and signed agreements, as these may help in discerning a way forward.