NPA to heighten attacks after Duterte closed peace talks – Joma

LUCENA CITY – Exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison said the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels would intensify attacks against government forces following President Duterte’s final rejection of the resumption of peace talks and his order to launch all-out offensives against the Maoist-inspired insurgents.

“Dahil gusto ni Duterte all-out war at dati namang terminated niya ang peace negotiations through Proclamation 360, no choice ang revolutionary movement but to intensify armed resistance of the people, (Because Duterte wants all-out war and peace negotiations have already been terminated through Proclamation 360, the revolutionary movement has no choice but to intensify armed resistance of the people),” Sison said in an online interview from his base in Utrecht, The Netherlands on Tuesday.

He noted that government forces have repeatedly failed to crush the communist insurgents even under the first two years of the Duterte administration.

Sison conceded that the peace talks under the Duterte administration were already dead.

“Malabo na,” he said.

On Monday, President Duterte has finally closed all doors for the possible reopening of the stalled peace talks between the government and the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

The NDFP is the umbrella group of all communist-led underground organizations that has been conducting on-and-off peace talks with the government since 1986.