Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. INQUIRER file photo
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Thursday downplayed the threat of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) exiled founding chair Jose Maria Sison that the ouster of President Duterte will remain the communists rebels’ priority this 2019.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo reiterated that Sison’s five-decades long insurgency efforts is a “failed rebellion.”
READ: Palace, group blast CPP-NPA’s 50 years of ‘failed rebellion’
“He has been saying that and as I’ve said much earlier and even recently, his is a failed rebellion. It’s about time that he realizes that fact, that 50 years of rebellion has not bore any fruits in so far as the intention of the rebellion that he has launched is concerned,” Panelo said in a Palace briefing.
“Just like the ‘rebel senator,’ he (Sison) is an illussionist, a visionary that has become illusory,” he added, apparently referring to opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV whom he earlier tagged as an “incorrigible illusionist” for doubting Duterte’s recent high satisfaction rating.
READ: For doubting Duterte’s satisfaction rating, Palace calls Trillanes ‘incorrigible illusionist’
Panelo claimed that the communist leader has lost grasp of reality for living away from the Philippines for years.
He also said that the government would take the threat of the communist group’s foot soldiers more seriously than that of Sison’s.
“Wala naman talagang maselang threat ‘yung kay Sison mismo, pero ‘yung nasa-ground na silang gumagawa ng mga pagsalakay ‘yun ang mga banta but ready naman ang ating Armed Forces diyan,” Panelo said.
In a statement on New Year’s Day, Sison said that while the communist rebels are still open to resuming peace negotiations this 2019, overthrowing the Duterte administration remains their top priority.
READ: Joma: Duterte’s ouster is CPP’s priority in 2019
He also claimed that the CPP, through its armed wing, the New People’s Army, will continue with its insurgency efforts to topple the government. /jpv