Joel Dizon
May 11, 2016
http://www.update.ph/2016/05/communist-party-founder-urges-duterte-to-release-political-prisoners-speed-up-peace-talks/5532
“The revolutionary movement of the people led by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) supports Duterte’s determination to fight corruption and crime and celebrates his promise to declare a ceasefire with the armed revolutionary movement and be the first president of the left in the history of the Philippines,” CPP founder José María Sison said in a Facebook post.
“In this regard, the CPP has urged him to release hundreds of political prisoners, speed up the peace negotiations and address the roots of the civil war through the adoption of economic, social and political reforms,” he added.
President-elect Rodrigo Duterte is a former a student of Sison in the Political Thought at the Lyceum of the Philippines. Sison said Duterte was an activist of the antimperialista and antifeudal youth organization, Kabataang Makabayan, and was a long time member of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan).
Duterte vies in the presidential race under Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) in which he is the current chairman.
“The CPP has challenged Duterte to affirm the national sovereignty of the Filipino people and defending the territorial integrity of the Philippines, to allow the masses worker and peasant empowered themselves against the oligarchs, to develop the Philippine economy through industrialization and a national Genuine Agrarian Reform, to promote a culture of patriots and progressive and broaden the public school system and to promote international solidarity for peace and development,” Sison added.
The CPP founder also highlighted the need for Leni Robredo to win as vice president.
“The importance of the electoral victory of Leni Robredo goes beyond take a stop to the dynasty of the Marcos in their willingness to regain political power in the Philippines. The Liberal party [is] expected to serve as a system of control to the government of Duterte and a constant reminder of their vulnerability to a coup d ‘ état or his dismissal by the House of Representatives and the Senate, still dominated by the Liberal Party,” he added.
In a separate interview, Sison said he will go back to the Philippines if Duterte fulfill’s his promise to visit him in Netherlands. “I can easily return home if Duterte releases all the political prisoners unjustly imprisoned by Arroyo and Aquino in violation of the Hernandez political offense doctrine and JASIG and if there is an agreement on mutual ceasefire, cooperation and the acceleration of the peace negotiations to address the roots of the civil war,” he said.
Meanwhile, Duterte spokesman Peter Lavina said Duterte admin would not be against the release some of detained communist rebels so they could take part in peace talks, and allow ailing detained communists to get treatment. Lavina said Duterte would go for review of the status of “political prisoners”.
Peace talks with the communists under President Aquino collapsed in 2013.
