President Rodrigo Duterte has terminated the government’s peace negotiations with the communists.
The President made this announcement on Saturday evening as he visited the tomb of his mother, Soledad Duterte, at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Davao City for her death anniversary.
It was also a day after he ended the ceasefire with the New People’s Army, citing the series of attacks by the communist insurgents against government troops in January this year.
Prior to this, the NPA has lifted its unilateral ceasefire last Feb. 1.
“I am scrapping the peace talks with the communists,” he declared, explaining that he would “not honor” any argument that would violate the Constitution.
Duterte added that the peace talks would remain cancelled unless there is a “compelling reason” that would benefit the interest of the nation.
“This time it should end here – pwede ba o hindi?” he wondered and that he insisted that he denied making a promise to release the 400 political prisoners.
“I never promised – I said [CPP – NDF – NPA] leaders, so that leaders can go to Oslo to talk. Ngayon 400 ed di kung 400 lahat na lang, ano pang pag-usapan natin?,” he said, adding that releasing the political prisoners is “practically granting amnesty.”
Duterte explained that amnesty is given after a successful talk and not before the conclusion of a peace negotiation and that one must not release all prisoners since they “committed a crime along the way against the Republic of the Philippines.
Duterte added that he is not interested with arguing with the rebels or talking to Communist Party of the Philippines leader Jose Maria Sison, who was also his former professor.
“As a matter of fact, if they issue a statement, I will not answer them,” he said.
He also directed government negotiators, who had been engaged in talks with communists in Rome, to “fold their tents and return home” from overseas talks with the rebel leaders.
“As you can see, I walked the extra mile, released their leaders so they could go to Oslo to talk. Now they want 400-plus prisoners who fought the government,” he said.
He also lamented how the military men were attacked, despite the NPA supposing to be on a ceasefire.
The President cited the military protests against allegedly excessive attacks by the NPA, noting the police report that 76 bullets were used to kill 3 soldiers in Bukidnon.
The military and the NPA traded blame for the collapse of the ceasefire. The NPA claimed it launched 20 offensive operations against the military to fight supposed deployment against the rebels. The military accused the NPA of violating its own ceasefire.
Six soldiers and an NPA rebel have been reported killed since the violence resumed on January 23. The NPA said it also took 5 soldiers as “prisoners of war.”
“I told the soldiers to prepare to prepare for a long war to prepare for a long war, I said [peace] will not come in our generation,” he reiterated, citing that the country has been facing the insurgency for almost 50 years.
The armed insurgency in the country, which began in 1968, is considered as one of the longest running outbreak in the world, which has claimed roughly 30,000 lives according to the military.
