PRRD wants peace panel out of talks with Sison

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers a speech during the closing ceremony of the National Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) Summit and the 1st Presidential Silent Drill Competition at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila on December 20, 2019. REY BANIQUET/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

MANILA — President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday reiterated his desire to talk with Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, but this time, without the presence of any panel.

“We’re trying to have a talk.

 Pero ang gusto ko, sabi ko kay Sison (But I want, I told Sison), ‘You come home and we will talk alone.’ Kaming dalawa lang. Ayaw ko ng panel (Just the two of us. I don’t want a panel),” Duterte said in a speech in North Cotabato.

Duterte was referring to the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace panel.

“Tanungin ko siya dito. Ano ba talaga gusto mong p***** i** (I’m going to ask him about this. What do you really want)?” Duterte said.

“You want to destroy a country? Can you really think you can destroy the Philippines?” he added.

Duterte criticized the communist rebels anew for having no ideologies, tagging them as “plain bandits.”

“They collect from itong mga (these) farm enterprises, sunugin ‘yung mga trucks kung (they burn trucks)… It — it does not really make any sense,” Duterte said, referring to revolutionary taxes.

He pointed out that the communist rebels have been losing supporters because many have already surrendered.

“Marami ang nagsu-surrender. Marami talaga ang bumababa (There are many who have surrendered. There are many going down from the mountains),” Duterte said.

The Chief Executive, meanwhile, reiterated his promise to give surrenderers shelter, livelihood, education if they returned to the folds of the law.

Last week, Duterte demanded an explanation from the communist movement on violations committed despite declaring a 15-day unilateral ceasefire.

The holiday truce between the government forces and the communist guerrillas will be in place from December 23 until January 7, 2020.

The ceasefire was implemented after Duterte and Sison separately declared their nationwide truce before the planned resumption of formal peace negotiations.

However, there have been reported attacks by suspected NPA members against soldiers and policemen in Labo, Camarines Norte; Tubungan, Iloilo; and Quezon province on the first day of the implementation of the temporary ceasefire.