Labor leader and presidential candidate Leodegario “Ka Leody” De Guzman believes that groups such as the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) that have been deemed terrorists by the national government are revolutionaries.
“Ako ay hindi sang-ayon na sya (CPP-NPA-NDF) lang ay terorista, ako tingin ko ay sila ay isang rebolusyonaryong grupo na naghahangad ng panlipunang pagbababgo at hustisya (I don’t think they are only terrorists. I think they are a revolutionary group that want social justice),” said De Guzman at the Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI) presidential debate on Tuesday, Feb. 15.
De Guzman, who is a proponent of engaging in peace talks with these groups and meeting their demands, says that these groups have continued to take up arms because peace talks in the past have not met their demands.
“Resolbahin natin yung mga demokratikong hinihingi ng mga kababayan natin yan na nag-aarmas, alisan natin ang dahilan para sila’y mag-armas...Resolbahin yung problema ng kahirapan, resolbahin ang inhustisya, ipatupad natin ang tunay na reporma sa lupa (Lets resolve the democratic reforms that our armed countrymen want, lets take away the reason why they began fighting in the first place... We need to solve poverty, injustice, true land reform),” he explained.
He also believes that if the national government were to sincerely engage with the rebel groups, then they would no longer continue taking up arms.
“Kailangan yung buong sistema ng pulitika at ekonomiya ay maging sistema politika at ekonomiya ng lahat ng mamamayan (Our entire political and economic system needs to be changed to accomodate all our citizens).”
“Kapag nangyari yan, kahit na hindi tayo makipag peace talk, tingin ko sa mga kapatid natin na nag-aarmas, magbibitaw ng armas yan dahil mawawalan ng dahilan na maghawak ng armas, (When that happens, even if we don’t have any peace talks, I believe that our armed countrymen will stop fighting, they will have no more reason to take up arms),” De Guzman concluded.