Senator Ronald Dela Rosa on Tuesday said the Philippine government should allow the return to the country of the remains of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison.
Dela Rosa, a former police chief, said he does not see any problem if Sison’s body is transported back home since he (Joma) was a Filipino.
He also cited humanitarian consideration as a reason for the permission since Sison has his loved ones, relatives and friends who want to pay him last respect.
He pointed out that Sison lived in the Netherlands on his own free will, not because of the Philippine government.
Dela Rosa pointed out that anybody who will replace Sison as the leader of the left-leaning organization will find it hard to save their dying cause, or the fake advocacy being pushed by the CPP.
According to the senator, the forces of the communist rebels continue to weaken as several barangays have already been cleared or neutralized of Reds.
He said the insurgents also benefit from the government’s barangay development program.
For next year, some P10 billion has been allocated to the program to bankroll the establishment of school, roads and other infrastructure projects.
Meanwhile, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada expressed belief it is not the end for the CPP-NPA which has been waging a guerilla war since 1969 to overthrow the government, but the death of its founding chair may further weaken it.
He said the past few years showed that the insurgency problem, which spanned over five decades and is one of the world’s longest ongoing armed conflicts, has been diminishing due to significant improvements in peace and development in the countryside.
Thus, their efforts to establish a communist state have been nil, Estrada said.
“While they continue to be a threat that must be eliminated, their strength in numbers has been on a continuous decline.”
Estrada said the government must take this opportunity to intensify the collaboration of different agencies, stakeholders, local government units, and even the general public in crushing the communist idea that drives the armed struggle.
He noted that it is the responsibility of everybody to protect the future of the next generation and ensure they will have peace. Macon Ramos-Araneta