Reply to Duterte and Panelo on the Claim of “Small Window” for Peace Negotiations
By Jose Maria Sison
NDFP Chief Political Consultant
May 12, 2019
It is not true that the Duterte regime keeps any “small window” to peace negotiations with the NDFP, contrary to what Panelo claims. Duterte has completely shut the door and all windows to peace negotiations with the NDFP. He has terminated and killed the peace negotiations since November 23, 2017 with Proclamation 360 and has driven so many nails into the coffin of the peace negotiations.
It is also not true that Duterte has terminated the peace negotiations because of the tactical offensives of the NPA. Even under conditions of temporary ceasefire, the AFP and PNP did not cease strategic and tactical offensives, occupied rural communities suspected as mass base of the NPA and committed gross and systematic human rights violations.
The real reason why Duterte has killed the peace negotiations is that he has failed to obtain the surrender of the CPP and NPA and the people, refuses to negotiate social, economic and political reforms for the benefit of the people and wants to continue the armed conflict as an excuse for his tyrannical rule and scheme to establish a full-blown fascist dictatorship through charter change to bogus federalism.
It is Duterte and his armed minions who have killed the peace negotiations and refuse to resume them. They wish to preserve the oppressive and exploitative ruling system dominated by foreign monopoly capitalism, domestic feudalism and bureaucratic corruption. They are deluded by the notion that they can destroy the revolutionary movement of the people through military means of bombing and mass murder and psywar tricks like fake localized peace talks, fake surrenders and fake development through small palliative projects.
The revolutionary forces and the people do not hope that Duterte will reopen the peace negotiations within the framework of the The Hague Joint Declaration. My estimate is that they will fight the Duterte regime to its bitter end. They do not expect the regime to engage in serious negotiations on social, economic and political reforms to address the roots of the armed conflict.
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Duterte has ‘small window’ for peace talk with communist rebels — Panelo
By: Neil Arwin Mercado – Reporter / @NAMercadoINQ
INQUIRER.net / 03:11 PM May 12, 2019
MANILA, Philippines — With reservations, President Rodrigo Duterte has a “small window” for peace talks with communist rebels, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Sunday.
Panelo made the statement after exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison on Sunday advised Duterte to resume peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to “escape the wrath of hell.”
Sison was responding to Duterte’s statement that he would be “happy” to be in hell with the exiled founder.
Asked if the government is still open for peace talks with the communist group, Panelo said Duterte is still open for negotiations if the communist group is “honest with their intentions.”
“Sinasabi naman niya (Duterte) palagi na mayroon siyang small window for peace talks provided na yung nasa kabilang lamesa ay tapat sa kanilang layunin,” Panelo said in an interview over Radyo Inquirer.
“Hindi ‘yung nagne-negotiate tapos ang dami nilang ina-assault, ina-ambush, sinusunog, pinapatay. Hindi naman po pwede ‘yun,” he added.
While Panelo said the President is open for negotiations, he also questioned Sison’s honesty and the exiled founder’s authority over the communist group.
“Ang problema, matapat ba siya at pinapakinggan ba siya ng mga tao niya? Ang problema baka hindi na siya pinapakinggan,” Panelo said.
The NDFP serves as the umbrella group of all communist-led underground organizations in the country.
In March, Duterte ended the government’s peace negotiations with the NDFP.
“I am no longer entertaining any interventions or persuasions in this democratic state of the Republic of the Philippines,” Duterte said.
Another attempt for a peace negotiation was launched in April through the creation of a five-member government peace panel, however, this was rejected by the communist groups. (Editor: Mike U. Frialde)