DEFENSE Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has branded self-exiled former Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP/NPA) founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison a “spoiled brat” who was detached from reality.
Lorenzana described Sison as desperate when the latter went into an outburst and ordered a “people’s war” following the aborted resumption of the stalled peace talks where he had his tantrum nearly 10,400 kilometers away.
“Mr. Sison is acting like a spoiled brat, which he is, and proves that he is very out touch with reality here,” Lorenzana said.
The peace talks between the communist party and the government, scheduled to resume on June 28, developed a hitch, according to security sources.
In a related development:
• Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon on Saturday threw his support behind President Rodrigo Duterte’s call that the peace talks with communist rebels be held in the country.
“I support the President’s decision. The venue of the next round of peace negotiations with the rebel groups should be the Philippines,” Drilon, who served as a peace process adviser in the past administrations, said in a statement.
“It’s about time that we change the venue of peace talkswith the National Democratic Front and it is about time that it takes place on Philippine soil,” he added.
Drilon, who had once served as an advisor to the government’s peace talks with the National Democratic Front, said, “The change of venue should not hinder the peace process.”
While the Norwegian government has played a valuable role in the country’s peace process, Drilon said that “the time has come for the Philippines and the Communist Party of the Philippines—New People’s Army—National Democratic Front to talk among themselves.”
“The peace talks have always been held in an (sic) international ground but it did not seem to accelerate discussion. Let the real peace talks begin in a local arena. No third party this time,” Drilon said.
Lorenzana made the remarks following Sison’s response to the government’s decision to postpone the peace negotiation to give them more time to achieve a better result that would benefit all concerned parties, especially the public.
Sison, who was once Duterte’s professor at the Lyceum of the Philippines when the latter was pursuing his pre-law course, commented on the peace postponement, saying the Duterte administration was “obviously not interested in serious peace negotiations and that the revolutionary forces and the people have no choice but to singlemindedly wage a people’s war” to achieve liberation.
“Sison is acting like a spoiled brat, which he is, and proves that he is very out of touch with reality here,” Lorenzana said in a statement.
The presidential peace adviser said Sison’s action was uncalled for by encouraging the CPP’s armed group to continue its offensives to topple the Duterte administration.
“Instead of rationally talking with our Panel to discuss how to move forward the resumption of the peace talks, he goes into tantrum and orders the NPA to wage a people’s war,” Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana also lamented Sison’s “irresponsible” statement, saying “ his ego is robbing many of Filipinos, whom he has misled all these years, of what could be their best chance ever to rejoin their families and live productive lives.”
“My message to him: ‘Mr. Sison, so easy for you to order the NPA to wage war and get killed while you are safely in The Netherlands enjoying a life of comfort and leisure. Your so-called army no longer listens to you,’” Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana claimed the people, especially those in the countryside, wanted peace and were tired of a senseless war.
“They are sick and tired of your lies and rhetoric, and are in fact heeding the call of President Duterte to come down and live peaceful lives and they are doing just that. They have been surrendering in droves since Nov last year. So you think you can force the government to the peace table by waging war? Don’t understimate President Duterte,” Lorenzana added.
What Sison does not know, Lorenzana said, is that the revolutionary war Sison has sounded-off to foot cadres to topple the government got the ire of many Filipinos.
“His ego is robbing many Filipinos, whom he has misled all these years of what could be their best chance ever to rejoin their families and live productive lives,” Lorenzana said of Sison.
Last year, Sison ordered NPA foot soldiers to intensify their attacks on the military and the police, prompting troops to wage counter attacks, leaving dozens of insurgents killed in separate skirmishes across the country.
“They are sick and tired of your lies and rhetoric, and are in fact heeding the call of President Duterte to come down and live peaceful lives and they are doing just that. They have been surrendering in droves since November last year,” Lorenzana said.
