Zarate: Makabayan bloc reassessing allied stance with President
Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
Is the honeymoon finally over?
Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said on Monday the Makabayan bloc is “reassessing” its alliance with President Rodrigo Duterte following the extension of martial law in Mindanao and cancellation of peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF).
READ: Congress votes 261-18 to extend Mindanao martial law ’til year’s end
“Ang sinasabi lang natin seryosong tinitingnan namin yung alyansa at (What we are saying here is we are seriously looking at the alliance and) reassessing our positions in all these major issues,” Zarate told INQUIRER.net during a protest action outside the Batasang Pambansa for the President’s second State of the Nation Address (Sona).
READ: Duterte: Talks with Reds ‘a waste of time’
Zarate said the peace talks with the NDF, now at the brink of total collapse, are a key to maintaining the alliance with Duterte.
“Ngayon, ang sabi ko nga ang usapang pangkapayapaan ay isang mayor na konsiderasyon. Kung talagang ito ay bibitawan na, ‘yun ang titingnan natin,” he explained.
(Like what I said, peace talks is a major consideration in our alliance, if it will really be stopped… we are looking into it.)
As of now, Zarate said, the Makabayan bloc will continue to push for its principled stance at the House of Representatives as part of the “supermajority.”
“Sa ngayon kabahagi kami nito, nang-gigiit kami (As of now we are part of it, we are pushing issues) constructively and in the coming days, tingnan natin (let’s see) how this would unfold,” Zarate added.
The lawmaker called on Duterte not to “squander” the peace talks and let go all of the gains the government and NDF reaped from the negotiations.
“It’s precisely na kailangang tuluy-tuloy ang negosasyon dahil sa umiigting na labanan at rebelyon sa ating bayan (it is but necessary to continue the negotiations because the fight against rebellion in our country is intensifying),” said Zarate. JPV/rga
