Jalandoni’s canceled visit to PH ‘not a loss’ to gov’t — Lorenzana

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday shot back at Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison for saying that National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF) negotiator Luis Jalandoni and his wife did not go through with their trip back to the country for security reasons.

“Hindi kawalan sa gobyerno kung ituloy man o hindi nina Mr. Jalandoni at Ms. Ledesma ang pagbalik sa Pilipinas,” he said in a statement.

“After all, it is not the government that is desperate to resume peace talks with the NDF,” he added.

NDF consultant Luis Jalandoni and his wife Consuelo Ledesma had canceled their plans to visit Manila for a possible meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte because of threats that they would be arrested.

Early this month, the President said that NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili and Jalandoni will fly to the Philippines within the month to meet him. A few days later, he said he is not interested to resume peace talks with communist rebels.

Lorenzana also hit Sison for referring to the military and police as “minions” of the President.

“Mr. Sison is trying his damnedest best to have his subalterns meet with the President and yet, at the same time, throws an insulting remark. This shows his lack of respect for the President,” he said.

In Sison’s statement, he said that “threats have been made by the armed minions of Duterte against Luis Jalandoni and Coni Ledesma. They have therefore decided not to go to Manila.”

“‘Minion’ is a term of contempt. It means a servile, fawning, and an unimportant person who is at the beck and call of a powerful person. This is a great insult to our police and military officers and personnel who are doing their jobs with utmost dedication and professionalism in serving the Filipino people,” Lorenzana said. /je