Duterte: 'If they are not willing to talk to me, that’s fine'

MANILA (UPDATE) - The chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDPF) on Thursday said it could no longer negotiate with the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, questioning his sincerity in pursuing the talks.

In a statement, Jose Maria Sison, founding chair of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), listed down the reasons why peace talks between the Duterte administration and the communist group could no longer push through.

"The promise of Duterte on May 16, 2016 to [grant] amnesty and release all political prisoners even before the start of peace talks is a long and repeatedly proven lie," wrote Sison, who has been exiled in The Netherlands for three decades now.

"Based on the implications drawn from the current impasse, the NDFP can no longer negotiate with a GRP (Philippine government panel) that is headed by Duterte. So long as he heads the GRP, the Filipino people, especially the oppressed and exploited, cannot expect any benefit from negotiating with the Duterte regime," Sison also said.

The statement came amid government's suspension of the supposed resumption of talks this month, with the administration citing the need for further public consultation.

• Resumption of peace talks with Reds delayed
• Joma hits Duterte postponement of peace talks

Sison said that apart from failing to fulfill this promise, Duterte is only focusing on pacifying the revolutionary forces without addressing the root cause of the armed conflict.

"His [Duterte] strategic obsession has always been to seek the capitulation and pacification of the revolutionary forces and people and has no interest in addressing the roots of the armed conflict through social, economic and political reforms," he explained.

Sison also blasted Duterte for being similar to his "reactionary predecessors."

He said Duterte has "no economic program" and that he has retained the "semifeudal character of the economy along the neoliberal line."

Sison, Duterte's former professor, also likened the President's style to that of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos: "build, build, build infrastructure, borrow, borrow, borrow and steal, steal, steal."

"The making of CASER (Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms) would have supplied him with an economic program of national industrialization, genuine land reform and wise utilization of the rich natural resources of the Philippines but he has no real interest in these," he said.

Sison, likewise, criticized Duterte's lack of interest in an independent foreign policy, and his "scheme of fascist dictatorship emulative of Marcos."

"He has practically declined the offer to agree on a federal system of government that is not merely a vehicle of Duterte's scheme of fascist dictatorship emulative of Marcos. He wants an overcostly and turbulent federal system of exploiting classes, regional dynasties and warlords," he said.

He also hit Duterte's retention of treaties with foreign governments the communist party has long been opposed to, particularly the United States.

"He is not interested in an independent foreign policy. He retains the treaties, agreements and arrangements that make the Philippines subservient to US imperialism," he said.

Sison also branded as treachery Duterte's closeness with China.

"...[H]e is enamored of private gains for his family and cronies from the traitorous sell-out of the West Philippine Sea and its rich mineral and marine resources, from high interest loans from China and overpriced infrastructure projects with Chinese corporations and even from the China-based illegal drug trade," he said.

Sison also recalled how, after the third termination of the peace talks in 2017, Duterte even designated the CPP and the New People's Army (NPA) as a terrorist organization.

• Duterte signs proclamation cancelling peace talks with Reds

He said the government filed a case before a Manila court seeking the declaration of the CPP-NPA and some 600 individuals as terrorists.

• Duterte declares CPP-NPA as terror group
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"These are definitely obstacles to the resumption of peace negotiations with Duterte regime," he said.

Despite these actions, Sison said the NDFP heeded the call of peace advocates and participated in backchannel talks.

"The aforesaid actions of Duterte would have been enough basis for the NDFP to conclude that he is not at all interested in peace negotiations. But in response to the demands of peace advocates, the NDFP persevered and worked out a number of agreements with GRP (Philippine government) representatives in back channel talks from March to June 2018," he said.

• Gov't suspends backchannel talks with Reds, seeks 3-month review of agreements

Sison believes Duterte suspended the resumption of the talks to support state troops in their campaign against the NPA, the communist party's armed wing.

He hit the continuing government offensive, saying it was "extremely costly, overextended and overstraining."

He said Duterte also wants to move the talks to Manila "so that these can come under the control, surveillance duress and manipulation by Duterte and the military."

• Duterte to Sison: Why should we talk outside PH?

EASIER TO SUPPORT OUST DUTERTE MOVEMENT

Instead of participating in peace negotiations, Sison said it is "relatively easier and more productive for the NDFP to participate in the Oust Duterte movement and to prepare for peace negotitions with the prospective administration that replaces the Duterte regime."

"The broad united front of patriotic and democratic forces has become strong enough to call for and cause the ouster of Duterte. While the urban-based Oust Duterte movement is growing, the CPP, NPA and the people have to fight and defeat the offensives of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police) being unleashed by the Duterte regime," Sison said.

Sison said drafts the NDFP has come up with in relation to the stalled talks could be carried over to negotiations with the administration that would succeed Duterte's.

"The agreements and drafts already produced in the GRP-NDFP peace talks can be used by peace advocates and people´s organizations for information and education campaigns among the people and for consultations with them. Many of the reforms can be promoted and developed even without peace negotiations," he said.

He also said Filipinos should be prepared to fight the Duterte regime should the need arise.

"In a desperate effort to retain power and establish his fascist dictatorship, Duterte will threaten or actually use bloody campaigns of suppression against the people in the urban and rural areas. The broad masses of the people and the revolutionary forces must be prepared to fight the Duterte regime in various forms of struggle," Sison.

He said Duterte's administration "is already isolated and hated by the people," citing "its brutality, corruption, involvement in the drug traffic[king], the rising prices of basic goods and services, continuance of contractualization, rising unemployment and low/inadequate incomes, the treasonous sell-out of Philippine territory and sovereign rights to China, disrespect for the religious beliefs of Catholics and Christians, and so on."

For Sison, it is better for the Duterte administration to withdraw from the peace talks than to "create false illusions that he is for peace."

"It is well and good if Duterte withdraws finally from the peace negotiations with the NDFP. Thus, he deprives himself of the opportunity of creating false illusions that he is for peace. He stands isolated and ripe for ouster by the broad united front of patriotic and democratic forces," he said.

Sison's statement came just a day after the Philippine government announced that it would start consulting the public and other stakeholders to galvanize support for the peace negotiations and draft agreements with communist rebels.

• Public consultations on peace talks to start in Mindanao: Bello

DUTERTE: 'WE CONTINUE WITH THE WAR'

Sought for comment, Duterte said the halt is "much better."

"Trabahente ho ako ng gobyerno (I work for government), my main task is to seek peace for my country. If they are not willing to talk to me, that’s fine," the President told reporters in an interview in Bohol.

"Wala akong problema (I don't have a problem with that), so we continue with the war. The war that has been there for 50 years. Ano ba naman dagdagan natin ng 30 years? Basta alam ng Pilipino na ganun ang nangyayari (How about we add 30 more years? As long as Filipinos know that that's what happened). If you want to overthrow government, fine," he said.

He asserted his earlier statement that the talks should be in the Philippines.

Addressing exiled Sison, he said: "Gusto mo mag-usap, pumunta ka dito. Ayaw mo, di 'wag (If you want to talk, come here. If you don't want to, then don't)."

"Why does he not take the chance of coming over? Baka ibigay ko pa 'yung gobyerno sa kaniya (I may be handing over the government to him) on a silver platter."