AFP: PH gov’t, NDFP joint statement shows ‘alignment’ in objectives

MANILA, Philippines — The joint statement between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) shows an alignment between the two parties, said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar on Tuesday.

Asked for a response to Vice President Sara Duterte’s statement that having a deal with the NDFP is like agreeing with the devil, Aguilar reiterated that the end goal was to end the armed struggle.

“When you talk about ending armed struggle, it is actually the end state or the direction of our campaign plan, because what we want here is, we have to stop or we want the CPP-NPA-NDF [Communist Party of the Philippines — New People’s Army — National Democratic Front of the Philippines] to abandon armed struggle,” said Aguilar in the Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing.

“The alignment is there, as far as the objective of our campaign is there,” added Aguilar.

Aguilar said that most of the militants are composed of farmers and youths who could still be saved.

“If the NDFP will declare the cessation of armed struggle, then probably these people can go down and embrace ‘yung amnesty program that we are offering, and therefore, that can save lives,” he said

The government announced the resumption of peace talks in November after it was halted in 2018 by former President Rodrigo Duterte, the father of the current Vice President.

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