HOUSE Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. revealed that the House of Representatives is now working on two complementary bills that are designed primarily to end communist rebellion in the country.

Speaking to newsmen at his residence here recently, de Venecia described these twin bills as seeking, one, to provide the P10 billion to compensation package for martial law victims, and another, an amnesty program for members of the New People’s Army.

He said the first bill is complementary to the second bill because many of the martial law victims sought to be compensated with P10 billion are from the extreme left.

Both bills are now being studied by the justice committee of the House headed by Rep. Matias Defensor of Quezon City.

The amnesty program for the NPAs, de Venecia said, could ensure the revival of the stalled peace talks between the government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front in Norway.

De Venecia made it clear in a meeting attended by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita in Manila that the revival of the peace talks is pre-conditioned on the agreement of both sides to declare a mutual nationwide ceasefire.

De Venecia clarified that the compensation package for martial law victims was re-filed because although this was approved in the old Congress, it did not catch up with the schedule.

He said he had a talk over the phone with self-exiled CPP/NDF leader Jose M. Sison who is in the Netherlands to inform him about the new initiative of Congress to revive the peace talks.

Mr. Sison, he said, did into make any comment but de Venecia was insistent.

Asked if they can rush the mutual nationwide ceasefire by Christmas, de Venecia said:” So much the better if we can approve this before Christmas and if not, it will be in the first two months next year.” (PNA)