At A Glance
- Former senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson expressed support for the Philippine National Police's (PNP) lack of recommendation for a ceasefire agreement with the Communist Party of the Philippines (AFP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).
Former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson expressed support for the Philippine National Police's (PNP) lack of recommendation for a ceasefire agreement with the Communist Party of the Philippines (AFP) and its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).
"I support the PNP on this. The CPP/NPA is almost a spent force – thanks to the efforts of former president Rodrigo Duterte and the security forces during his term as president," he said in a statement on Friday, Dec. 22.
Lacson, a former PNP chief, added that the government should not squander those gains by giving the Red rebels – already designated as a terrorist group – another chance to regroup and reconsolidate their strength to fight and overthrow the duly constituted authority, which was "their only agenda in the first place".
"If they surrender peacefully and unconditionally, they should be treated humanely and justly as fellow Filipinos. Otherwise, government should remain hard on them," he said.
Earlier, President Marcos asked Filipinos to support the resumption of the peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) to realize the vision of unity in the country.
Marcos said this following the signing of the Oslo Joint Communique and a joint statement on Nov. 23, as he cited the "need to unite as a nation" and address and resolve the reasons for the armed conflict.
The peace talks between the Philippine government and the NDF stopped in 2017 when former president Duterte ordered its termination due to the supposed lack of commitment and sincerity on the part of the communists.
The NDF has agreed to go back to the negotiating table with the Philippine government, with the resumption of the peace talks expected to begin early next year.