Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison on Friday insisted that no decision has yet been reached to terminate peace negotiations with the government.
In a statement, Sison said only the National Democratic Front of the Philippines—the CPP’s political arm of which he is the chief consultant—can suspend, cancel or terminate the peace talks.
He said at present, the NDFP “has not yet made such a decision.”
“I can only make the pertinent advice to the council in my capacity as chief political consultant,” Sison said.
The CPP on Friday said it acknowledged Sison’s advice that the NDFP “can no longer negotiate with the GRP [Government of the Republic of the Philippines] under [President Rodrigo] Duterte.”
It was awaiting the convening of the NDF National Council for its decision on the fate of peace talks.
“Indeed, it has been starkly clear that peace talks with the GRP under Duterte was going nowhere,” the party added. “Duterte has proven himself a stubborn anti-peace President and warmonger.”
However, the President on Thursday night belittled the threat of communist leader Sison to join other forces seeking to topple the government.
“What forces? Who is willing to join him?” Duterte said during the 25th annual convention of the Vice Mayors League of the Philippines in Panglao, Bohol.
Duterte was reacting to a statement by Sison that the rebels no longer expected to sign a peace agreement during the President’s term, and would wait instead for the next administration while working to remove Duterte.
“If they are not willing to talk to me, that’s fine. I have no problem. So we continue with the war. Anyway, we have been there for 50 years. What does it matter if we add another 30 years?” Duterte said.
The President also contrasted the communists with Muslim rebels.
“For… the Moro people, it is territorial. It’s not ideology,” Duterte said. “And they’re just asking for a fair share of what used to be their ancestral land.”
The President insisted he was just a government employee whose main task is just to seek, to find the peace for the country.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, said Sison was merely using the peace talks to propel himself into the limelight, and as a cover for his principal objective—armed struggle to topple the government.
“Mr. Sison, you know that the peace talks [are] the only thing that is keeping you in the limelight,” Lorenzana said.
“Without it you are irrelevant. You also know that the President can terminate the talks, and this is why you are desperately using reverse psychology and intimidation to save it,” Lorenzana added.
With Sison out of the picture, Lorenzana vowed to pursue the ongoing localized peace talks.
“Mr. Sison, in response to your childish tantrums we will vigorously pursue the ongoing localized peace talks. I am sure that once you are out of the picture, true peace will have chance to become a reality and you will be consigned to the dustbin of history,” Lorenzana said.
“This Sison never ceases to amaze me,” he added. “He begs for peace talks and a ceasefire, and now he turns around to say that they will no longer negotiate with this government and threatens to destabilize the government,” he added.
The Philippine National Police said it regretted the NDF move to close the door on talks.
“It is unfortunate that Sison’s personal reasons of comfort along with the NDF’s own strategic agenda are getting in the way of the success of the peace process,” PNP spokesman Sr. Supt. Benigno Durana Jr. said.
Nonetheless, Durana said the PNP is poised to initiate preventive security measures to preclude possible hostile actions by the local communist movement in the aftermath of the suspended peace negotiations with the NDF.
“In view of the postponement of the resumption of the peace talks with the CPP-NPA, all units were advised to intensify security measures in all PNP facilities and installations,” said Durana.
Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate, meanwhile, urged President Duterte to prevent the looming collpase of the peace talks between the government and the NDF.
“We urge President Duterte to stop treating the peace process like the outmoded ‘Game of the Generals’ by cancelling the talks on his whims and by unilaterally demanding a change in the Jasig-provided foreign neutral venue, among others,” Zarate said.
Zarate said the possible eventual withdrawal of the NDF from the peace talks “will be very unfortunate.”
“Indeed, no self-respecting party would like to continue talking with an administration that does not take the process seriously and whose main objective is not to solve the root causes of the decades-old rebellion but only the capitulation and surrender of its adversary,” Zarate said.
The acting head of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, meanwhile, said Sison was out of touch with reality and needed professional help.
“He [has been] living 30 years in The Netherlands, and he doesn’t know the hardships suffered by the rebels in the mountains,” said acting Secretary Eduardo Año.
He added that Sison seems out of touch with what is happening in the Philippines.
The CPP statement, however, added: “He showed complete unwillingness to listen to the clamor for substantive socioeconomic reforms. He has practically terminated peace negotiations by insisting that talks be held in the Philippines, which the NDFP justly rejects because this violates the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees [Jasig] which stipulates that talks must be held in a foreign neutral venue.”
“Otherwise, this will only allow the GRP to hold the talks hostage and subject NDFP negotiators to the GRP and AFP’s armed attacks,” it added.