COMMUNIST rebels on Friday branded efforts by the Duterte administration to pursue local peace talks as a “waste of time” amid calls by the President for leftists to surrender.
“The revolutionary forces under the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines [CPP] and allied with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines [NDFP] reject local peace negotiations being pushed by local bureaucrats and military officials and supported by President himself,” the CPP said in a statement.
“The Duterte regime is wasting time and the people’s money in setting-up these useless local peace committees which will go nowhere and achieve nothing,” the group added.
By pushing for localized talks and enticing the surrender of NPA fighters “with silly incentives,” Duterte reveals himself “to have a very shallow appreciation of the profound social problems which are at the root of the raging civil war in the Philippines,” the CPP said.
Communist forces also reiterated their call for the resumption of the stalled fifth round of talks with the left “to pursue discussions on the release of all political prisoners and the Comprehensive Agreement on Socio-Economic Reforms [CASER].”
On Tuesday, following his trip to Japan, Duterte encouraged the NPA rebels to surrender as he expressed willingness to talk to them, even though peace talks with the NDF have already been terminated.
He also vowed to give the rebels houses and livelihood, once they give up their armed struggle.
This development came after presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte recently created a local peace committee supposedly to negotiate with local forces of the New People’s Army [NPA]. Similar efforts by the 8th ID in Eastern Visayas have been reported.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed support for the President’s latest call for NPA rebels to lay down their arms.
“The President’s latest call for the NPA fighters to lay down their arms, return to society, and live normal lives only shows that he is giving the NPA every chance at achieving a peaceful resolution to the longstanding armed conflict,” he said.
He urged the members of the communist group to be part of the change that Duterte wanted to achieve during his leadership for the betterment of the country and the lives of the people.
Lorenzana also said that a number of NPAs have accepted the offer and are now living normal lives.
Lorenzana said Duterte’s offer to provide the members of the leftist group with livelihood and housing only shows his “sincerity to attain long-lasting peace in the region in which they are fully supporting.”
In a related development, eight communist rebels belonging to the NPA surrendered to authorities in Sultan Kudarat, bringing the total number of those who have surrendered to 70, the military said Friday.
They also gave up two M-16 rifles and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
Among issues raised by the surrendering rebels were poor government response, land grabbing, and lack of employment opportunities.