Sison: NPA will be watching LGUs in local peace talks
LUCENA CITY – Exiled Communist Party of the Philippine (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison said the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels will seriously study the role and participation of local government officials in the so-called localized peace talks.
In an online interview, Sison said the NPA rebels will study and decide if the local officials in their respective territories “were only forced to support the local peace talks, only acting supportive, in cahoots with the military in conducting harassments against the people and organizing fake rebel returnees in exchange for cash and other rewards from the government”.
“I think the local revolutionary forces will be fair and judicious towards the LGU (officials),” Sison said.
Sison, who is residing in The Netherlands as a political refugee, serves as the chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in the peace talks.
When asked what will be the possible NPA course of action against local officials who will be found guilty, Sison replied: “It’s up for them (NPA) to decide.”
“Pero baka uunahin nila muna ang manambang sa mga military (But they might prioritize dealing with the military),” Sison said.
Article continues after this advertisementHe clarified that communist peace negotiators like him were not involved in the activities of the NPA.
Article continues after this advertisement“There is no ceasefire agreement but only termination of peace negotiation by Duterte,” Sison explained.
The CPP-NPA-NDFP has rejected the localized peace talks.
Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said various local government units have expressed their support to localized peace talks.
“We have received good feedback from LGUs as they expressed their willingness to play a more significant role in ending hostilities in their respective localities,” Año said in a statement on Thursday.
The Duterte administration was pushing for localized peace talks with the communist guerillas on the ground after the negotiations between the NDFP and the government bogged down anew last month. /ee
