Duterte using CPP-NPA as ‘scapegoat’ to declare martial law – Sison

Jose Maria Sison. FILE PHOTO / INQUIRER

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Ma. Sison said on Friday that President Rodrigo Duterte was just using the communist movement and the New People’s Army (NPA) as his “scapegoat” to declare martial law.

Sison said they are willing to resume the peace talks with the government but it was Duterte who kept on changing his mind.

“As I have repeatedly pointed out, Duterte is not interested in the peace negotiations but in scapegoating the CPP and NPA for the purpose of declaring martial law nationwide or a state of emergency in his mad drive to establish a fascist dictatorship under the guise of charter change to federalism,” Sison said in a statement posted on the NDFP website on Friday.

INQUIRER.net is seeking Malacañang’s reaction on this latest statement of Sison, as of posting.

Sison lamented the “repeated whimsical termination” of the peace negotiations, saying it is likely that Duterte will soon lead the current three-month suspension of the talks to another end.

The Duterte administration has suspended the peace talks with the communist rebels three times already.

Sison then clarified reports saying he has canceled the negotiations with the government. As NDFP chief consultant, Sison said he can only give an advice.

“Some news reports claim that I have canceled or terminated the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. Only the National Council of the NDFP can make the decision to suspend, cancel or terminate the peace negotiations with GRP, and has not yet made such a decision,” he pointed out.

GRP refers to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines while NDFP refers to the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the political arm of the CPP that participates in the peace talks.

Sison further noted that Duterte also reneged on his promise of amnesty and release of political prisoners.

“I made a critical review of the behavior of Duterte in relation to the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations. And I deplored among other things his failure to fulfill his promise to amnesty and release all political prisoners,” Sison said.

Sison reiterated his disagreement on transferring the venue of peace talks to Manila, stressing that such move would render peace talks resumption “impossible.”  /kga