The next round peace talks between the Philippine government and the rebel National Democratic Front (NDF) has been tentatively set on June 20.

Informal talks are now being held in Manila by members of the government and the NDF panels for the peace process' continuation under the administration of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Philippines News Agency reported Friday.

Discussions are being held with the rebel panel members for the"full operationalization" of the joint monitoring committee, whichhas representatives from both the government and NDF panels, and the inauguration of its office has also been tentatively set on June 4, said Tarlac Governor Jose Yap, senior consultant of the government panel.

The joint committee has been tasked to implement the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, the first major agreement scaled by the government in the on-and-off-talks' four-point agenda.

The three other major talking points in the peace process are socio-economic and agrarian reforms; political and constitutional reforms; and the disbandment of the NDF's armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA) and the rebels' reintegration into mainstream society.

Both panels are still out to resolve the "terrorist" tag that was accorded by the United States and other Western states on NDF's self-exiled leader Jose Sison and the NPA, which has been waging insurgency in the Philippine remote areas since 1969.

Likewise, the rebels want the government to release all of the country's remaining political prisoners identified with the mainstream Left, and to indemnify human rights victims of the martial law era out of the late former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos' alleged ill-gotten wealth.

Formal negotiations between the Arroyo administration and the NDF were resumed February in Oslo, Norway. The royal Norwegian government continues to play the role of a third party facilitatorin the talks.

The talks were suspended by Arroyo in mid-2001 after NDF's armed wing allegedly assassinated two lawmakers in 2001.

The latest round peace talks with the NDF were temporarily suspended by both parties in April as the presidential palace became more focused on the May 10 national and local elections, where Arroyo sought for a fresh six-year mandate in the presidency.

Source: Xinhua