President Rodrigo Duterte said peace talks with the communist rebels can continue even without communist party founder Jose Maria Sison. File photo
The peace talks with communist rebels can continue even without their leader Jose Maria Sison, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday as he criticized the leftist guerillas for extorting money from businesses.
Speaking to soldiers in Catbalogan, Samar, Duterte said the government is determined to talk peace with the communists so that the next generation would not have to grapple with insurgency.
“We want peace. They do not seem to like it. Maybe they like it. But still, we would insist we talk with or without Sison, with or without the politburo,” Duterte said, referring to the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) policymaking body.
“My job as a president is not to look for fight and to allow people to die. My job as president is to seek peace with everybody so we can move on to the next generation, so that the next generation will not have a problem with insurrection and go anywhere throughout the country and develop the republic,” he added.
Duterte issued the statement 12 days before the resumption of the peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF), the political arm of the communists, in Oslo, Norway.
The Norwegian government serves as third-party facilitator for the talks.
Duterte’s remarks also came after he and Sison had a series of verbal exchanges over the president’s decision to call off the ceasefire with the communist rebels.
The president declared a truce during his first State of the Nation Address on July 25 as a goodwill measure for the resumption of the talks. He, however, decided to lift the ceasefire five days later due to the communists’ failure to reciprocate with their own truce.
Duterte demanded that the CPP implement its own ceasefire after communist guerillas ambushed militiamen in Davao del Norte on July 27, killing one militiaman dead and four others wounded.
The lifting of the ceasefire did not sit well with Sison, who scored Duterte for supposedly acting like a bully. Some local leaders of the communist movement even accused the military of “sabotaging” the government truce.
Duterte continued his tirades against the communists Monday, saying the rebels are resorting to extortion to sustain their operations.
Duterte: It’s extortion, not a revolutionary act
In Mindanao, especially my region (Davao), they are strong and they survived. You know why? Because of extortion. They extort from banana (plantations), mining. They thrive there because they are already into extortion,” the president said.
“I used to call them an revolutionary act but I am now ticked off,” he added.
Security officials previously reported that the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the communists, has collected millions from companies and politicians. They said the usual targets of the insurgents are mining firms, logging companies and plantations.
Duterte stressed that he would forego the peace talks if the rebels continue to use landmines, which is prohibited under the Geneva Convention. He said the communists have been using the explosives to target vehicles carrying civilians including the families of soldiers.
“I am not issuing a warning. I’m not even giving an ultimatum. I’m just saying, if a landmine explodes again, which is prohibited by the Geneva Convention, I’ll forego the peace talks. Forget about it. The government cannot kneel down all the time. It’s impossible,” the president said.
“If I hear another explosion, goodbye. To the peace panel, just go home. Don’t waste your money there and talk nonsense,” he added.
“I’ll not plead for it because I’m the president.”
Duterte reiterated his call for communists to abandon their decades-old armed struggle.
“You’ve have been at war with the government for 45 years. Do you want to fight for another 45 years?” he said.
Duterte previously said that he is ready to hold “marathon talks” to address the insurgency problem plaguing the country.
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