Jalandoni declines Duterte’s offer to join government

Luis Jalandoni, peace panel chair of National Democratic Front of the Philippines, speaks during a Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines forum in Manila in September 2011. AFP PHOTO

LUCENA CITY—A top communist leader has rejected proposals for the movement for become part of the government, even in a Duterte presidency.

“We believe that there are sufficient number of outstanding persons in the legal democratic movement that could perform important functions in a patriotic and propeople government,” Luis Jalandoni, peace panel chair of the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), said via email on Friday.

Jalandoni added: “The NDFP officials do not have to join the patriotic and propeople government, while having relations of cooperation and truce with it.”

Jalandoni issued his reaction in response to the declaration made by Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in Mindanao recently where he disclosed to reporters his plan to invite the communist leader to join his administration if he becomes president.

Duterte, a self-declared socialist, also disclosed in the interview that he would give communists three Cabinet positions under his presidency—agrarian reform, social welfare and environment and natural resources.

The tough talking local chief executive declared his administration would not engage in a coalition scheme with the rebel movement but would instead directly absorb the communist party into the government.

The NDFP had brought up the proposal for a coalition government in August 2005. But both past and present administrations had rejected the idea.

Jalandoni said the rebel movement “welcomes the positive statements” of Duterte on the NDFP, Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing, the New People’s Army.

Jalandoni maintained the NDFP “is willing to have relations of cooperation with a patriotic and progressive government that will carry out land reform, national industrialization and stand firmly for the independence and national sovereignty of the Filipino people.”

“With such a patriotic and progressive government, the NDFP will be willing to have cooperation and truce,” Jalandoni said.

Jalandoni also expressed appreciation for Duterte’s “positive actions” in his participation in the release of government security forces that were captured by the NPA.

Duterte’s popularity continued to gain followers among Filipinos who are frustrated with the nation’s peace and order problems and government’s perceived inability to deal with them decisively.

In the latest Pulse Asia survey conducted this June, Duterte, despite his questionable human rights policy, placed third with 15 percent behind Sen. Grace Poe and Vice President Jejomar Binay.

But on Thursday, Duterte once more reiterated before the country’s business executives at the Asia CEO forum in Makati that he would not join the presidential race in the May 2016 elections.

But for his legions of supporters, Duterte’s style of on and off declarations of his presidential ambition is just part of an elaborate political strategy to bring him to Malacañang after the 2016 polls.