MANILA – The Department of National Defense (DND) on Friday said it will push for localized peace talks after Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison announced on Thursday that they will no longer seek negotiations with the government.
“Mr. Sison, in response to your childish tantrums, we will vigorously pursue the ongoing localized peace talks,” Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. “I am sure that once you are out of the picture, true peace will have a chance to become a reality and you will be consigned to the dustbin of history.”
Lorenzana added that without the peace talks with the CPP, Sison will become “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,” he claimed.
Lorenzana also said that the peace talks was never a “principal objective” of the rebels.
“They have already admitted that the peace talks is basically in support of their armed struggle. It was never their principal objective. Their term ‘’just and lasting peace’ is a situation when they have finally succeeded in their armed struggle, definitely not our idea of just and lasting peace,” Lorenzana stressed.
Meanwhile, Sison has clarified on Friday that they have not yet fully terminated the peace negotiations with the government.
Sison said only the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) – the CPP’s political arm – can suspend, cancel or terminate the peace talks.
“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,” he added.
President Rodrigo Duterte said he does not mind ending the peace talks with the Sison’s group and extend the long standing rift with the rebels up to 30 years.
The formal resumption of peace talks between the two camps was meant to proceed on June 28 in Norway, but fell through because Duterte said he needed more time for consultations.
An agreement between the government and the rebels was signed on June 8 and was supposed to take effect on June 21, a week before the opening of formal talks./PN
