DUTERTE-LORENZANA NOTION OF LOCALIZED PEACE TALKS IS TOTALLY ABSURD AND STUPID FOR FIVE MAJOR REASONS
Statement by Prof. Jose Maria Sison
NDFP Chief Political Consultant
July 16, 2018

The notion of GRP President Duterte and his adjutant DND secretary Delfin Lorenzana that so-called localized peace talks can take the place of peace negotiations between the negotiating panels duly-authorized by the highest leadership of GRP and NDFP is totally absurd and stupid for the following five major reasons:

First, you (Duterte and Lorenzana) cannot use so-called localized peace talks to negotiate and make comprehensive agreements with the growing armed revolutionary movement to address the roots of the armed conflict with social, economic and political reforms of national dimensions.

Second, you are daydreaming if you think that you can divide and disintegrate the united nationwide armed revolutionary movement led by the Communist Party of the Philippines by trying in vain to stage so-called localized peace talks.

Third, by now you should be thoroughly embarrassed by the fact that the central and regional leading organs of the CPP, NPA and NDFP have condemned your notion of localized ceasefire talks.

Fourth, you should know that the people and revolutionary forces have long recognized that so-called localized peace talks are little zarzuelas staged by the military and local peace and order councils for psywar purposes and for pocketing public funds in the name of fake surrenders.

Fifth, you (Duterte and Lorenzana) should admit that you have all along been sabotaging the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations, canceling and terminating these so often due to your failure to reduce them to mere surrender negotiations and now you are so frustrated with your utter failure to make the NDFP capitulate that you are at the end of your wits by touting the absurd and stupid notion of localized peace talks.###