facultynews

PolSci Chair appointed to GRP Peace Panel

Dr. Julio Teehankee of the Political Science Department was recently appointed to a committee under the Philippine government panel negotiating peace with armed groups.

He will work with the Reciprocal Working Committee on Political and Constitutional Reforms (RWC-PCR). The government is into peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, the New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front. Government Panel Chair Silvestre Bello III made the appointment. Subsequently, Teehankee shall be confirmed by the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Eduardo Ermita.

Pursuant to the Hague Joint Declaration of 1992, both parties shall conduct peace negotiations on four areas: human rights and international humanitarian law; social and economic reforms; political and constitutional reforms; and end of hostilities and disposition of forces, with the end view of resolving the armed conflict that has raged four decades. The government and the NDF shall form their respective Reciprocal Working Committees to negotiate the details of each agenda.

Former Constitutional Commissioner and sectoral representative Atty. Jose Luis Martin Gascon shall chair the RWC-PCR. Atty. Gascon teaches part-time with the Political Science Department.

Peace talks with the NDF were formally resumed in April 2001 but were temporarily suspended due to political issues raised against the rebel groups. However, back-channeling efforts are being undertaken to enable both sides to agree on creative solutions that will break the impasse in the talks.