Gov’t urged to resume peace talks with Reds

Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano on Sunday said the Duterte administration’s decision to forgo the possibility of forging a peace agreement with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) was tantamount to “abandonment of duty.”

“The government must never say that they are hopeless about peace. It is an abandonment of duty to resolve social ills that led the insurgents to incite protests,” Alejano said in a statement.

Alejano, a former Marine captain, said the national government should hear the valid concerns of insurgents and deal with these without resorting to violence.

“We should not set aside peace talks because it involved the overall security of the people,” the Magdalo representative said.

Major differences

After initially accommodating the CPP and members of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, its political wing, President Rodrigo Duterte opted to pull the plug on the peace negotiations between the two groups due to major differences in pursuing the peace process.

The President, who had previously openly praised the CPP, also lambasted its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), for attacks on government troops as he threatened to form his own “Duterte death squad” to kill communist rebels.

As the government remained firm on its rejection of any truce for the holidays, the Philippine National Police on Sunday said the communist rebel leadership was “out of touch with what’s happening” in declaring its own ceasefire.

No ceasefire

In a radio interview, Chief Supt. Benigno Durana Jr., PNP spokesperson, maintained that the unilateral ceasefire declared by the CPP central committee is a mere “propaganda” and is another deception by the revolutionary organization.

For his part, Col. Noel Detoyato, Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs office chief, reiterated that the military would not declare a ceasefire for the holidays.