Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Saturday said peace talks with communist rebels could be possible though the administratrion had petitioned a court to have them declared as terrorists.
Pimentel gave that reaction after Sen. Panfilo Lacson asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to swiftly act on its petition filed at the Manila Regional Trial Court to have the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) tagged as terrorist groups.
In an interview with AM radio station DWIZ, Pimentel gave this explanation: “Political decision po yan. ‘Di yan legal issue whether you can have peace talks or not. A peace talk is a political decision by the political leadership.”
[That’s a political decision. It’s not a legal issue whether you can have peace talks or not. A peace talk is political decision by the political leadership.]
He said that if the political leadership and the rebels would be willing to coordinate and show their “good sides” they could talk and resolve the issue.
“Dapat magpakita ng good faith ang both sides. Dapat yung other side magpakita ng good side because we also want to resolve the issue,” he added.
[Both sides should show good faith. The other side should show its good side because we also want to resolve the issue.]
On Friday, Duterte said the government was not closing its doors on peace talks with the rebels despite his attacks against exiled communist leader Jose Maria Sison and other rebels.
“Ngayon di na kami magkaintindihan ni Sison,” he said. “We’d like you to know that we are keeping the fire burning. Hindi mo pwedeng sarhan eh.”
[Sison and I do not understand each other anymore. We’d like you to know that we are keeping the fire burning. You can’t close the door.]
“You cannot afford to lose all channels of communicationm,” he said. “Mag-iwan ka talaga maski maliit. So meron diyan. Sabi ko: ‘Sige, basta walang coalition,” he added.
[Leave even just a small opening. So it’s there. I said: OK, as long as there’s no coalition government.] /atm