CPP-NPA prepares list of nominees to posts in Duterte Cabinet

The chief negotiator for the Philippines’ communist insurgents, Luis Jalandoni. AFP

COTABATO CITY – The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has started preparing a list of its nominees for major posts in the incoming administration of presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte.

On Monday, Duterte announced that he was offering communist leaders posts in the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and even the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) although he said he was still studying exactly how to go about reviving the peace talks.

“We have accepted the offer,” said Luis Jalandoni, the chief negotiator of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, which has been handling the negotiations for the CPP-NPA,  in a radio interview on Wednesday. He added that the CPP and the National Democratic Front were “very happy for this gesture of President-elect Mayor Duterte.”

“It shows his trust and confidence in the Communist Party of the Philippines, The New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front,” Jalandoni added.

He said after the offer, the CPP and the NDF immediately started preparing a list of nominees to the positions.

“So we say we are starting to prepare the list of qualified, competent dedicated personnel in the legal democratic movement, who could fill in these important posts that are being offered by Duterte,” Jalandoni said.

Jalandoni said Duterte’s gesture was important and would help in achieving a common desire and objective to attain peace and national unity.

“We wanted to submit our nominees as soon as possible. Those we recommended, right now, they are thinking of the offer and possibly talking with their families,” he said in a mixture of English and Filipino.

At the same time, Jalandoni welcomed former Justice Secretary Silvestre Bello III as head of the incoming government’s peace panel.

Bello was named by Duterte as chief negotiator with the NDF while lawyer Jesus Dureza was named panel chief for the talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“He is very welcome. We are happy because we work with him in the making of more than 10 peace agreements since 1994. We have a good experience with him,” Jalandoni said.

He said Duterte’s offer to start negotiations anew with the NDF was also welcome.

“We hope we can work (together) to assert and achieve a just and lasting peace and unity,” Jalandoni added.  SFM