Palace assures Sison: Come home, you won’t be arrested
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang insisted Friday that the one-on-one talk between President Rodrigo Duterte and exiled communist leader Jose Maria Sison should be in the Philippines.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo issued the statement as he assured Sison, who has been on self-exile in the Netherlands since 1987, that he will not be arrested while staying in the country.
“We dare Mr. Sison to come to the Philippines for a one-on-one meeting with the President to forge a lasting peace agreement,” Panelo said in a statement.
“[Duterte] guarantees that he will not be arrested upon his arrival and after the meeting, he can freely leave for the Netherlands when he so desires,” he added.
While Sison is open for the one-on-one meeting with Duterte, the founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines does not want it to be in the Philippines.
READ: Joma Sison rejects Duterte’s invitation to come home for meeting
Despite Duterte’s assurance of not being arrested, Sison has said state security forces are “increasingly disobedient” to the President.
In a speech in Legazpi, Albay on December 5, Duterte revealed he sent labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to talk to Sison for the possible resumption of peace talks.
READ: Duterte gives peace talks with CPP another shot
On November 23, 2017, Duterte signed Proclamation No. 360, formally terminating the peace talks with the communist rebels.
READ: Duterte signs Proclamation No. 360 terminating peace talks with NPA
In March 2019, the President canceled the appointment of Bello and other government peace negotiators following the collapse of the peace negotiations.
READ: Duterte cancels appointment of Bello, 4 others as gov’t peace negotiators
