Peace efforts with Reds still on, but crackdown continues – Aguirre

From the Daily Tribune (Jan 12): Peace efforts with Reds still on, but crackdown continues – Aguirre

Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II yesterday apparently slipped in admitting that the government is still open to resume the peace talks with communist rebels.

While there are pending motions before courts to rearrest leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) said to be “consultants” of the National Democratic Front (NDF), it would not be easy to bring them back to jail and even make President Rodrigo Duterte’s “terrorist” label on the rebels official and legal, he told a press briefing.

Aguirre pointed out that there remains to be legal battles ahead against the CPP-NPA-NDF and as well as the possibility to continue the talks “temporarily terminated” by the Chief Executive.

“Hopefully in the coming weeks, (motions to rearrest CPP-NPA-NDF leaders) can be filed. There was a last-minute consultation with the Office of the Executive Secretary, as well as with the intelligence services of the government,” he said.

“The warrants for the arrest of these consultants have not been lifted, although there are moves to resume the peace process... These consultants have been released because of the peace process,” the Justice chief added.

Among the top communist leaders released in 2016 were Benito Tiamzon and wife Wilma Austria-Tiamzon.

The Tiamzons, along with some of their comrades, were released and allowed to post bail as part of Mr. Duterte’s confidence-building measures with the CPP-NPA-NDF back when the administration was still openly optimistic in pursuing peace and ending Asia’s longest communist insurgency.

The talks between the government and the CPP-NDF went rough in 2017 as the rebels first canceled their unilateral ceasefire back in February, increasing a series of tactical operations against state security forces.

Aguirre also said he is expecting the CPP-NPA to give a good legal battle before the Supreme Court against the terrorist tag on the rebel group.

“It is going to be a full-blown trial,” he stressed.

“We cannot rush it because we have to gather all the instances of the (NPAs’) terrorist activities. And besides, they do not want to be called ‘terrorists,’” the Justice secretary added.

Unholy alliance

Meanwhile, Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday said it should not come as a surprise if the ranks of the communist rebels are exhausting all means, including the possibility of forming an unholy alliance with groups known to be opposed to the Duterte administration to topple the government.

“That has always been their primary objective and it will not change, (their thrust) to overthrow the government, to take over government. That’s why they’re revolutionary, they’re fighting in whatever manner to achieve their objective and if they’re trying to coalesce just so they can penetrate the mainstream, that should not come as a surprise,” he said when asked on his reaction to the statements of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana calling the CPP delusional.

Allegedly, the CPP, through its official publication, is calling for an unholy alliance with critics of the administration to bring down the President.

Such call only brings to light their bankrupt ideology and how years of propagating lies have deluded their sense of reality, Lorenzana said.

“I don’t have any intelligence intelligence information in that regard. If Lorenzana has, I’d rather believe him,” the senator said.

Sen. Gregorio Honasan, for his part, would not join those publicly slamming the communist rebels’ call on administration critics to merge forces and work on the downfall of the President.

“We cannot resolve important issues related to crucial peace process, political unity, economic development and stability through public media statements,” he said in a text message to reporters Thursday.

“Instead, we should together condemn terrorism, armed conflict, loss of lives, destruction of property, injustice and impairment of liberties as common ground to pursue lasting peace,” Honasan, who chairs the upper chamber’s committee national defense and security, stressed.

The President, last month, signed a proclamation declaring the CPP and its armed wing, New People’s Army as a terror organization and ordered the DoJ to file a petition before a regional trial court (RTC) to classify such groups as terrorists, in accordance with the provisions of Republic Act 9372, or the Human Security Act, which lays down acts that are defined as terrorism.

‘Counter NPA threats’

Relatedly, the military has poured in fresh troops in Caraga Region to address threats posed by the New NPA.

Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez, spokesman of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division (ID), said the additional troops were sent by the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) on Wednesday in an effort to allay fears of the people on the threats posed by the rebels.

The 4th ID, under Maj. Gen. Ronald Villanueva, has jurisdiction over Northern Mindanao areas where NPA rebels are operating.

“Aside from their traditional military operations against threat groups, the 500 soldiers boost the Army’s capability in responding to natural and man-made calamities,” said Martinez.

According to him, the deployment of 65th IB would also help hasten the division’s operations to defeat the terrorist NPA.

“The full might of the battalion shall be employed against armed terrorist, while the battalion will also initiate community-based dialogs to enlighten the members of illegal secret associations organized by the terrorist NPAs in the villages,” the military official added.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/peace-efforts-with-reds-still-on-but-crackdown-continues-aguirre