Localized peace talks pursued
New tack to marginalize Joma – Lorenzana
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Friday said that the government will vigorously pursue ongoing localized peace talks following threats from Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison that the leftist insurgents will back out from the peace negotiations and instead join moves to oust President Duterte.
“Mr. Sison, in response to your childish tantrums, we will vigorously pursue the ongoing localized peace talks. I am sure that once you are out of the picture, true peace will have a chance to become a reality and you will be consigned to the dustbin of history,” the Defense chief said.
Lorenzana, in the same statement, said that the peace negotiation is the only thing that is keeping Sison in the limelight.
“Without it you are irrelevant. You also know that the President can terminate the talks, and this is why you are desperately using reverse psychology and intimidation to save it,” Lorenzana said.
In the statement, Lorenzana said Mr. Sison never ceases to amaze him, especially on issues concerning the peace talks.
“He begs for peace talks and a ceasefire, and now he turns around to say that they will no longer negotiate with this government and threatens to destabilize the administration, ”Lorenzana said.
The Defense chief said that for the past 49 years, Communist New People’s Army Terrorist (CNT) have conducted non-stop destabilization in order to weaken the government so that their armed struggle will succeed and they could take over the government.
“Ngayon litaw na litaw na ang kanilang strategy (Their strategy is clear cut): Talk peace and then press for a ceasefire so that they can regain lost grounds. Yan ang (That is the) ultimate objective ng peace talks sa CPP/NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines),” Lorenzana said.
“The oust-Duterte (move) by the CPP-NDF was actually launched in May, 2017. Ploy lang nila yung peace talks and ceasefire to allow their fighters to regain lost grounds,” he added.
Lorenzana said their move to talk to the government is a way for them to pursue what they call armed struggle.
“During peace talks, peace is the farthest thing from their minds. They have already admitted that the peace talk is basically in support of their armed struggle. It was never their principal objective. Their term ‘just and lasting peace’ is a situation when they have finally succeeded in their armed struggle, definitely not our idea of just and lasting peace,” Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana said now that President Duterte want to carefully study the previous agreements, most of which are in favor of them, they are spiteful and scaring government.
“Palagi kasi siyang pinagbibigyan ng gobyerno (Government always accommodate him. He is the quintessential spoiled brat),” Lorenzana said.
“Let us not be lulled or hoodwinked by Sison’s glib tongue about reforms. They will institute reforms all right, but along communist lines when they have finally won. In fact, they don't even have to win because their socialistic CASER (Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms), which they are trying to ram down our throats, will ensure that they will have a foothold in governance,” he said.
Lorenzana said the government, on the other hand, has been instituting reforms in accordance with our laws, our resources and our people’s most pressing needs, such as land reform, job generation projects, infrastructure development, and other poverty alleviation initiatives.
“But Sison and his ilk do not want these projects to succeed. The anti-poor NPAs have been trying hard to sabotage these pro-people projects by burning equipment and intimidating contractors, which stalls development in the countryside,” Lorenzana said.
“Mr. Sison, yung mga boladas mo ay matagal nang kumita at laos na. Marami nang NPA ang hindi naniniwala sa iyo. Sino kaya ang paniniwalaan nila: Ikaw na nagpapakasarap at komportable diyan sa Netherlands o ang Presidenteng ginagawa ang lahat para mapabuti ang buhay nila?”
“They know that every time you order them to fight the government forces, you are sending them to their death while you are comfortably enjoying your safety in the Netherlands and freeloading off the Dutch Government. Dapat kang mahiya dahil inabandona mo ang iyong mgamandirigma (You should be ashamed of yourself for abandoning your fighters). That's why they are coming down in droves to live peaceful and productive lives. Sawa na sila sa panloloko mo (They are already fed up with your deceitful acts),” he said.
Meanwhile, Makabayan solon Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate urged President Duterte to salvage from collapse the peace negotiations with the NDFP.
“The possible eventual withdrawal of the NDFP from the peace talks will be very unfortunate. Indeed, no selfrespecting party would like to continue talking with an administration that does not take the process seriously and whose main objective is not to solve the root causes of the decades-old rebellion but only the capitulation and surrender of its adversary,” Zarate said in a statement.
What the Chief Executive should do according to Zarate is to “abandon the hawkish and militarist game that his administration is now playing” in connection with the peace talks with the Red rebels.
“We strongly urge President Duterte to stop treating the peace process like the discredited game of the generals by cancelling the talks on his whims and by unilaterally demanding a change in the JASIG (Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees)-provided foreign neutral venue, among others,” he said. (With a report from Ellson A. Quismorio)