Left will be a reliable Duterte ally, says NDFP’s Jalandoni

Jalandoni

OSLO—The Left will be a reliable ally of President Duterte in protecting Philippine sovereignty and patrimony, a senior communist leader said on Monday.

Luis Jalandoni, a senior adviser to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), said Mr. Duterte’s criticisms of US intervention could lead to threats that might affect the stability of the Philippines.

“The Left will be a reliable ally to the Duterte administration in fighting against US imperialist threats and other antipeople forces,” Jalandoni said.

The Duterte administration and the NDFP concluded a second round of peace talks here on Monday, with high hopes of prisoners of war being released and a bilateral ceasefire being signed this month.
Socialist
Mr. Duterte, who describes himself as a socialist, rants almost daily against the United States, United Nations and European Union because of their criticism of his brutal war on illegal drugs.

He has said this week’s joint military exercises with the United States would be the last of his presidency. He has also threatened to expel US forces from Mindanao and to sever relations with the United States and seek closer ties with China and Russia.

US defense officials have dismissed Mr. Duterte’s statements as “all bluster.”

The Pentagon chief, Ash Carter, said last week that the US security commitment to the Philippines remained “ironclad.”