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Thursday, March 28, 2024

Esperon: Junk Joma’s peace offer, go local

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President Rodrigo Duterte’s top security adviser has rejected the revival of the talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, saying the government should pursue localized peace talks instead.

This came after CPP founding chairman Jose Maria Sison said the Duterte administration should start releasing political prisoners as a goodwill measure to resume the talks this month, adding their freedom will “ensure [the] success” of the meeting.

In a statement, Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said the peace negotiations were only being used by the communist rebels as a “period to rest when badly beaten, seek reinforcements, and initiate recruitment.”

“We have alternatives to the peace talks. We are now pursuing local peace engagements which have resulted in understanding and the mainstreaming of rebels,” Esperon said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the National Task Force to End the Local Communist Armed Conflict has asked Duterte to release new funds for an anti-insurgency program that seeks to end communism in the villages nationwide, Malacañang said Tuesday.

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The request for a new budget for the Retooled Community Support Program was made by Esperon, who concurrently serves as NTF-ELCAC vice chairman, during the 45th Cabinet meeting held in Malacañang on Monday night, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said.

Panelo, however, failed to mention the exact amount the NTF-ELCAC sought for the continued implementation of the RCSP.

Esperon noted that the Philippine government had over 40 rounds of peace talks with the CPP since 1986 in a bid to end the conflict, but to no avail, saying another round of negotiations would be futile.

“Engaging in another round of peace talks after all these years and all our efforts without significant changes is therefore pointless,・ Esperon said.

“Let us be clear on what the objectives of the peace talks are. Are we going to hand over governance to the CTG or at least be in a coalition government with them? Are we going to demobilize and demilitarize the NPA or let them become part of the new government armed forces?”

During the Cabinet meeting Monday night, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict has requested the release of new funds for the Retooled Community Support Program, an anti-insurgency initiative that seeks to end communism in villages nationwide.

In line with the President’s goal of ending local communist armed conflict, RCSP is being implemented in areas with vulnerable populations to ensure the improved delivery of basic services and address development gaps.

Duterte terminated the peace talks in 2017 through Proclamation 360 following the successive offensives of the rebels against the military and the police. 

On Dec. 5, Duterte expressed his desire to resume the talks and sent Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III in The Netherlands to talk to Sison. With PNA

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