Why talks with Reds should be terminated

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Monday released a paper detailing the reasons they will recommend the termination of the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

The paper, “The Public Should Know,” cited many reasons the peace talks should be stopped, citing findings that show “it is obvious that they are not sincere to talk peace and end the armed conflict.”

He said that during the last

unilateral ceasefire from 2016 to January 2017, the CPP/NPA/NDF held the second People’s Congress in October to November, 2016, and the Central Committee Plenum in December, 2016.

It was during those two meetings when the CPP/NPA/NDF crafted a three-year plan to advance the revolutionary movement. The document included the plan for the "Oust Duterte Movement" if the President will not agree to a coalition government, Lorenzana said.

He said by January 2017, the National Military Commission of the CPP/ NPA reinforced the earlier plenum agenda.

"Using the lull in the fighting because of the ceasefire they were able to consolidate, recover their lost ground and mass base and expand their influence," Lorenzana said.

In May 2017, the CPP/NPA/NDF formally launched the "Oust Duterte" operation which, according to Lorenzana, will culminate in October this year.

Revolutionary tactics

"Based on the foregoing deliberate actions of the CPP/NDF/NPA, it is obvious that they are not sincere to talk peace and end the armed conflict. They are employing the revolutionary dual tactics to show a semblance of peace but continually conducts violence and terror acts on the ground," Lorenzana said.

Lorenzana, at the same time, said the ongoing review of all peace documents and agreements revealed that it lays down the foundation of power sharing towards coalition government.

"In fact, the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) panel during the Aquino Administration recommended the abrogation of the talks because the panel has come to the conclusion that ‘we were just being taken for a ride.’ The GRP panel then made serious studies and they believed the NDF panel is not truthful, sincere and honest except to get concessions such as the release of high-ranking party members and giving their armed components time to recover lost ground and mass base," Lorenzana said.

Also, according to Lorenzana, majority of the Indigenous Cultural Communities/ Indigenous People (ICC/IP) in Mindanao do not want a ceasefire primarily because it means the NPAs will come back to their communities.

"The IPs also want the CPP/NPA/ NDF to publicly apologize for their acts of crime and terrorism against the ICCs/IPs for almost 50 years, where almost a thousand IPs were murdered by the NPA," the defense chief said.

Lorenzana also said the CPP/NPA/ NDF can’t comply with the four conditions of the Chief Executive to go back to the negotiating table. The conditions are – no coalition government; no arson or attacks, no revolutionary tax or extortion; for the NPA to stay in safe areas of their choice; and no recruitment or mass mobilization.

"They (CPP-NPA) have been tagged as a terrorist organization locally and internationally. They had their chance to work for peace when President Duterte appointed four of their members to the Cabinet. But they betrayed the government when they used their positions to advance CPP’s revolutionary movement," Lorenzana said.

CPP reacts

In response, the CPP Information Bureau called Lorenzana’s statement a definition of the Duterte administration’s anti-peace policy.

The CPP said to Lorenzana, “the only solution to the civil war in the country is the military solution.”

"He wants no non-military end to the civil war in the Philippines. He fears losing significance if the present civil war in the country is settled politically through peace negotiations,” the CPP said.

‘Joma: Stop dreaming’

Meanwhile, Malacañang said CPP founder Jose Maria Sison will never see his dream of overthrowing the government turn into a reality.

Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque made the statement after Sison said that the CPP-NPA-NDF will stop holding peace talks with the Philippine government under the leadership of President Duterte, and instead oust him.

Roque, in a press briefing in Southern Leyte, blamed Sison for the failed peace talks between the government and the communist rebels, saying that Duterte already assured his safety.

"Hindi po kasalanan ng gobyerno na hindi natuloy ang peace talks. Si Joma Sison po ang umayaw. Tayo po'y mga Pilipino, ang sinasabi po ng Presidente, dito tayo mag-usap ng kapayapaan (It is not the government's fault that the peace talks did not push through. Sison was the one who backed out. We are Filipinos, the President said we should talk peace here)," he said.

The Palace official also called the CPP founder 'arrogant' for wanting to overthrow the Philippine government for over 50 years.

"Mayabang po talaga si Joma Sison. Akala niya siya ang savior ng bansa. Eh mantakin niyo, eh patatalsikin daw nila si Presidente, hindi raw matatapos ang termino (Joma Sison is really arrogant. He thinks he is the country's savior. Imagine, they said they would oust the President, they said he will not finish his term)," Roque said.

‘Come home’

The former lawmaker also said Sison will never see his dream of overthrowing the Philippine government turn into a reality.

"Joma Sison, gumising ka na, managinip ka na. Hindi ka pupwedeng magtalsik ng gobyerno habang ikaw ay nasa Europa. Napakatagal mo na diyan umuwi ka dito at ikaw ay mamuhay dito sa Pilipinas nang makita mo iba na ang kondisyon (Joma Sison, wake up, dream on. You cannot overthrow a government while you're in Europe. You've been there for a long time. Come home so you'll see that the situation is now different)," he said.

“Your dreams will never be a reality. The country's economy is now good. Even if there is still poverty, a lot already overcome it. You've been in another country for so long that you don't know the country's condition)," he said in Pilipino.

Roque also said he has no idea why Sison is afraid of holding peace talks with the government in the country when the latter himself kept on going through the forests just to talk about peace.

“When the President was still mayor, he kept going through the forests in Mindanao to talk. I don't understand why are they afraid to talk now when the President has been supportive of it since before," Roque said. (With a report from Argyll Geducos)