Joma: CPP condemns Maute attacks

THE NETHERLANDS— Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Maria Sison on Friday said the revolutionary movement was one with the government in opposing Islamic State (IS)-affiliated organizations, which he described as supported by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

Sison, also chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), said that fighting groups like Maute is a common objective for both the revolutionary movement and the government.

“We in the NDFP are together with the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) in opposing and fighting the IS-affiliated and CIA-supported groups like the Maute group and the Abu Sayyaf,” Sison said.

The senior communist leader reiterated his group’s condemnation of the attack staged by the Maute group in Marawi that led to several deaths and the displacement of thousands of residents.

“We in the NDFP condemn the attack by Maute group on Marawi City. Earlier NDFP-Mindanao condemned this attack and expressed the deepest concern and solidarity for the people of Marawi city,” Sison commented.

But Sison said the communist movement expressed its concern when Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana issued a statement that the New People’s Army (NPA) was among the military targets under recently declared martial law in Mindanao.

“As chief political consultant of the NDFP, I deplore the re- ported statement of DND Secretary Lorenzana that the NPA is also a target of the Mindanaowide martial law,” Sison said.

Sison acknowledged the clarification made by government negotiators, just days before the fifth round of formal negotiations here.

“The GRP side has clarified that the NPA is not a target. In fact President Duterte himself told Fidel Agcaoili in their recent meeting that the GRP and NDFP should unite against terrorist groups like the Maute group and Abu Sayyaf,” Sison said.

Sison said the “terrorist act” of the Maute group should not be an obstacle to the fifth round of formal talks between the NDFP and the government that begins on May 27 until June 1 in the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, Sison disclosed that the NDFP panel has appealed to the CPP to “reconsider” its order to the NPA to step up offensives in the wake of the proclamation of martial law.