Nene Pimentel wonders: Is Deles still alive?

MANILA, Philippines—Is presidential peace adviser Teresita Deles still alive?

Former Senator Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. raised this question during a regular forum in the Senate on Thursday as he apparently found Deles’ silence deafening.

“Ah, Secretary Deles? Is she still alive?” asked Pimentel, eliciting laughter from the media covering the forum.

“I haven’t heard from her for a long time,” he added.

Turning serious, Pimentel said the peace adviser should be held liable for the recent clash between the government troops and members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) that left 19 soldiers killed.

“If she’s (Deles) still the one in-charge of the peace negotiations, probably she should be held responsible for what has happened,” said the former senator.

Pimentel said the incident could have been prevented if the government’s peace effort was not “sleeping under anesthesia.”