Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday, Dec. 4, posed her objections to President Marcos’ decision to grant amnesty to rebel groups, calling the resumption of the peace talks with the communist group “an agreement with the devil.”

(From left) President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte during the Brigada Eskwela in Manila last Aug. 14, 2023. (Ali Vicoy/MANILA BULLETIN)

This was the second time she contradicted the Chief Executive since they won the 2022 national elections in a landslide under the message of unity. Duterte earlier disagreed with Marcos’ statement on studying whether the Philippines should rejoin the International Criminal Court (ICC), which is investigating her father’s bloody war on drugs campaign.

“Mr. President, the government’s statement with the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) in Oslo was an agreement with the devil. Napatunayan na natin sa kasaysayan na hindi sila seryoso at wala silang sinseridad sa usaping pangkapayapaan (History proved that they are not serious and insincere in seeking peace),” she said in a video message for the 5th founding anniversary of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“Gagamitin nila itong peace negotiation sa pagtraydor sa pamahalaan at paglinlang sa taumbayan (They will use these negotiations to betray and deceive the people). We appeal to your power to review these proclamations and agreements,” she added.

Last week, the Philippine government announced the resumption of peace talks between the government and the NDFP via the Oslo Joint Communique, which was signed on Nov. 23 at Oslo City Hall through Royal Norwegian Government (NRG) Special Envoy Kristina Lie Revheim.

Norway, which would facilitate the peace negotiations, and other countries welcomed the agreement.

But Duterte, who is also the co-vice chairman of the controversial anti-insurgency NTF-ELCAC, appealed to Marcos to reconsider going back to the negotiating table with the communist groups.

“Apo BBM, sana po ay isaalang-alang natin ang ating mga komunidad na naging pugad ng mga terorista sa mahabang panahon na ngayon ay lumalaban na at tumutulong sa pamahalaan (I hope we can consider the communities that became a haven to these terrorists and are now fighting against insurgency and helping the government). Let us honor the memory of those who died in the senseless and bloody attacks of the NPA-CPP-NDFP,” she stated.

The resumption of peace talks will see the government re-engage in talks with the New People’s Army (NPA), the military wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), for the first time in six years after peace negotiations broke down during the previous Duterte administration.

“Mr. President, we can negotiate for peace and reconciliation and pursue meaningful development efforts in the Philippines without capitulating to the enemies,” the official said.

While she supports steps to achieve peace in the country “because the fight against terrorists is deeply personal to me, as it is deeply personal to the families of countless Filipinos whose lives were forever upended because of the madness of terrorists,” Duterte stressed that the way to peace is not by granting amnesties to the rebels.

Instead, she said that the government should continue strengthening the NTF-ELCAC.

Duterte recalled in her statement instances when she personally witnessed a victim of an NPA-improvised explosive device in Mandug, Davao City lost his life. She also remembered how civilians, barangay captains, soldiers, volunteers, and the police lost their lives to fight against insurgency.

“Nananawagan ang kanilang mga pamilya ng hustiya. Subalit, hindi ito makakamit kung bibigyan natin ang mga teroristang grupo ng amnestiya, sa pamamagitan ng Proclamations 403 at 404 (Their families want justice. However, we cannot achieve this if we will give amnesty to these terrorist groups through Proclamations 403 and 404),” she said.

Amnesty Proclamations 403, 404, 405, and 406 cover members of the Rebolusyonaryong Partido ng Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB), CPP-NPA-NDF, Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

The Vice President’s statement against Marcos’ proclamations present a window to the deepening cracks within their UniTeam tandem as she has voiced out her opinions against two major policies of the Marcos administration regarding plans to rejoin the ICC and the resumption of the peace talks with the NDFP.

Successive administrations have held peace talks with the communist group through the NDFP, their Netherlands-based political arm, since 1986.

When former president Rodrigo Duterte won in 2016, there was optimism for peace talks, though this later on crumbled as the former chief executive cut them off in 2017.

He declared the group a terrorist organization and accused them of killing the police and military while negotiations were undergoing.