The formal peace talks will take place June 28 to 30 in the Norwegian capital, Sison said. The stand-down agreement would be the first phase of the bilateral ceasefire between the forces of the government and the Left on the ground. The agreement is “an act of mutual goodwill to stimulate the resumption of formal peace talks. It is also to prepare for the coordinated unilateral ceasefire, which is a more advanced form of ceasefire,” Sison said. With the limited timeline for the stand-down agreement, Sison argued that the agreement cannot be referred to as a ceasefire, saying it is only a “form” of it.

Source: Manila Times June 13, 2018 16:30 UTC