‘Joma an ineffective ‘armchair general’

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana called Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison an “armchair general,” saying the rebel leader lost touch with his men after at least 8,000 of them surrendered to the government this year.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Lorenzana recognized how good of a leader Sison was when he founded the CPP-New People’s Army (NPA), especially when they reached their peak in the 1980s.

“How is the leadership of Joma now? Matagal naman ‘yang wala sa Pilipinas eh (He’s been out of the country for a long time). I think he left the Philippines in 1990s, 87 no, 1987, and he has not come back here. Is he still attuned with what’s happening on the ground? I don’t think so,” he said.

“He keeps on barking but he doesn’t know what’s happening on the ground. And he makes himself relevant by having the peace talks in Norway. Tanggalin mo yan mawalan siya ng relevance diyan (Take that away and you take away his relevance),” he added.

“I call that an armchair general. He’s not going out of his chair and keeps on directing from there. It is not very effective,” he said.

Lorenzana said some 8,000 rebels surrendered to the government this year as a result of the localized peace talks.

He said rebels are now surrendering because the issues that are being capitalized by the CPP-NPA are now being addressed by the government.

He said that the landless are now given lands and that former rebels are being trained by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. He added that farmers are being assisted by the Department of Agriculture and the Department of Trade and Industry is going around to spur the investment in the area.