Malacañang on Wednesday described the 50-year insurgency of the Communist Party of the Philippines as a “failed rebellion” and that its founding chairman, Jose Maria Sison, was “out of touch” with reality.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo made the remark after Sison told ANC that the CPP-NPA remained relevant and would strengthen its efforts to oust President Rodrigo Duterte through its revolutionary movement.
“The 50 years of Joma Sison’s rebellion speaks for itself. It’s a failed rebellion,” Panelo said. “It only resulted in the loss of lives of Filipinos, especially the young students who were killed in ambushes, skirmishes, battles and in sickness in the hills.”
Panelo made his statement even as the Philippine Army on Wednesday claimed that the NPA violated its self-imposed holiday ceasefire after some of its members clashed with government forces, resulting in the wounding of a member of a militia in Rodriguez, Rizal.
Panelo said many communist rebels had been laying down their arms and surrendering while Sison remained in exile in The Netherlands since 1987.
“The NPA surrenderers are coming in droves, responding to the call of the government to return to the fold of the law while Mr. Sison remains ensconced in his ivory tower of comfort and luxury while his comrades die for a lost cause,” Panelo said.
“No wonder the forces on the ground no longer follow him, hence his regular rants against [the government] to give himself the appearance of relevance.”
Panelo urged Sison to also surrender before he became too weak to do so.
“It’s time for him to wave the white flag before his physique gives up on him. There is honor in returning back to a democratic society and embracing the constitutional order,” Panelo said.
“In the spirit of Christmas, we still wish him well and pray that he be blessed with inner peace and enlightenment.”
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered his troops to “destroy” the communists despite their declaration of a five-day holiday ceasefire.
“We do not subscribe to their ceasefire, we are ready for anything. Change your paradigm, do not fight them, destroy them. Destroy them, kill them,” Duterte said in a speech at Camp General Manuel Yan Sr. in Compostela Valley.
Duterte has terminated the peace talks the CPP-NPA, which is tagged by the US as terrorists as they continued to commit abuses and to demand a coalition government.