Palace tells Joma Sison: Wake up, stop dreaming about ousting Duterte

Exiled leader Jose Maria Sison should stop dreaming about the possible ouster of President Rodrigo Duterte, Malacañang said on Monday.

“Mantakin niyo, patatalsikin daw si Presidente, di raw matatapos ang termino, Joma Sison, gumising ka na,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a Palace briefing in Maasin, Leyte following Sison’s warning that Duterte’s ouster was “highly probable.”

The resumption of the peace talks between the government and the communist rebels is also now in limbo as Sison had earlier said the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the political arm of the communist party of the Philippines, could “no longer negotiate with a government headed by Duterte.”

READ: Palace: Joma spoke like ‘a true terrorist’


Sison said it was “relatively easier and more productive” for the communist to join ouster moves against Duterte.

However, Roque said, “Talaga namang mayabang itong si Joma Sison. Akala niya siya ang savior ng bansa.”

The Presidential Spokesperson claimed that Sison, who is on self-exile in the Netherlands, was out of touch on the reality in the Philippines.

“Di ka pwede magpatalsik ng gobyerno pag ikaw ay nasa Europa. Napakatagal mo na diyan, umuwi ka na dito. Ikaw ay mabuhay dito sa Pilipinas nang makita mo na iba na ang kondisyon. ‘Yung mga pinapanaginip mo di na mangyayari,” Roque said.

Duterte had ealier invited Sison to come home and talk peace in the Philippines, assuring him of his safety and security.

The rebel leader, however, declined the President’s offer.

READ: Sison won’t come home yet despite assurance of safety

Duterte had earlier ordered the postponement of the scheduled resumption of peace talks, which was supposed to happen last June 28.

Sison has accused Duterte of sabotaging the peace talks to lay the ground for imposing martial law nationwide by postponing the peace talks.

However, Roque turned the table on Sison and blamed him for the postponement of the peace talks.

“Hindi po kasalanan ng gobyerno na di natuloy ang peace talks. Si Joma Sison po ang umayaw. Tayo po ay mga Pilipino, ang sabi ng Presidente, dito tayo mag-usap ng kapayapaan. Binigyan ng garantiya na di siya ikukulong, pinawalan nga ang anim na mataas na liderato ng CPP-NPA para makasapi sa peace talks,” Roque said.

Sison’s “threat”

The Palace official also mocked Sison’s threat that Duterte won’t be able to finish his six-year term.

“Yung sinabi niyang di matatapos ang termino, unang-una, nananaginip nga kasi sitenta-anos na. Nagbabantang patalsikin ng CPP-NPA ang goyerno, di mangyayari. So another 30 years umasa ka pa rin, managinip ka pa rin, di mo pa rin mapapatalsik ang gobyerno ng Pilipinas,” Roque said.

He told Sison to stop yakking and come home instead and be part of the government’s goal of giving a more comfortable life for Filipinos.

“Ang masasabi ko lang, tama na po ang dakdak. Kung gusto mo talaga makatulong sa ating kababayan, umuwi ka na dito, at maging bahagi ka ng isang mas komportableng bayan para sa lahat ng sambayanang Pilipino,” Roque said.   /vvp