Joma Sison’s criticism immaterial: Lorenzana

MANILA - Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Sunday, July 15, that any criticism from the Communist Party of the Philippines is immaterial to the localized peace talks that the government will hold with the communist rebels.

He said they were not surprised by Jose Maria Sison’s rejection of the localized peace talks. Sison is the founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)

But whatever Sison says with regards to the peace talks does not matter, Lorenzana said.

“I consider Sison’s rejection and rant as just a noisy distraction, like the barking of a dog that is best ignored. Did he think that the government would stop just because the ‘mighty’ Sison rejects it? Fat chance, Mr. Sison. Do you really think that you still hold sway over events here in the Philippines? Dream on Mr. Sison,” the Defense chief said.

“Hold on to your misguided dreams because they are all that’s left for you. The world has moved on while you continue to wallow in your delusions of grandeur. The reality on the ground is that your fighters, whom you have abandoned in order to seek the comforts of the Netherlands are wizening up and returning to the folds of the law in great numbers,” he added.

On Wednesday, July 11, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the guidelines for the localized peace talks amid the postponement of the peace negotiations between the government and the Communists Party of the Philippines (CPP) National Democratic Front of the Philippines in the Netherlands.

Under the localized peace talks, local government officials are tasked to conduct talks with the communist rebels in their areas of responsibility.

Sison said such move from the national government is a “sham and a waste of people’s money which is doomed to fail.”

“Surely, this pretend ‘localized’ peace talks will not involve even a single genuine revolutionary force. Duterte will certainly be negotiating only with its own shadow,” he said in a statement on Friday.

Lorenzana, however, downplayed Sison’s statement and said holding localized talks would never be a waste of the people’s money.

“If the money given to those returning to society so that they will have stable and sustainable livelihoods, so that their families will have medical care, so that their children can go to school, so that they will have the resources to start new lives and put food on their tables is a waste of money, so be it. Let us waste more money on these kinds of endeavors then,” he said.

“Your problem Mr. Sison is that you consider money that is not spent to prop up your gargantuan ego is money wasted. I’ll tell you Mr. Sison what money is really being wasted: the monies that you and your cohorts have extorted under the guise of your so-called revolutionary taxation scheme that are never accounted for. While we are at it, let us also include the money spent to maintain your luxurious lifestyle in the Netherlands. Now, that is a real waste of money,” he added. Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/ SunStar Philippines