By Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chief Political Consultant
NDFP Negotiating Panel
December 23, 2006
Since yesterday, news reports in the Philippines and abroad have made me appear that I am a “communist rebel leader” speaking on behalf of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) about the unilateral declaration of “ceasefire” by Gloria M. Arroyo for four days to mark Christmas and the New Year.
The news reports apparently originated from a live interview that I gave to “Magandang Umaga” program of ABS-CBN yesterday and from the subsequent print report by the ABS-CBN website. Since then, major Manila newspapers, the Associated Press and the International Herald Tribune have picked up the reports.
I wish to clarify that I gave my opinion as the chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. I did not speak on behalf of the CPP or the New People’s Army (NPA) or both.
I made the observation that Arroyo’s ceasefire declaration was a mere psywar ploy and that it was intended to cover the continuing attacks on the progressive legal activists, the workers and peasants by the reactionary military, police and paramilitary forces.
I opined that if the Arroyo regime really wants to cease fire it should order its troops, police and other armed minions to keep away from the territory of the people’s revolutionary government.
I further opined that like last year the NDFP is under no obligation to declare its own ceasefire because the NPA would have no targets to attack if the armed minions of the Arroyo regime stay away. Otherwise the NPA would have to attack them if they encroach upon the territory of the people’s revolutionary government.
It is my estimate that the Arroyo will give no rest to its own military, police and paramilitary forces and will continue to use them to attack the legal opposition, the people and the revolutionary forces. While Arroyo prates about her fake ceasefire, she keeps on beating the war drums of Oplan Bantay Laya.###
