DAVAO CITY – Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte doubts the sincerity of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to end insurgency even with the exploratory peace talks initiated by the government last year.
“It has always been the same, in my opinion. I cannot doubt the government’s sincerity because I was with the government. The other side is not sincere in really sitting down and working on what they want to happen to this country,” Duterte said in a press conference on January 6.
DUTERTE (Keith Bacongco)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration and the NDFP, the overarching body of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), agreed to restart peace talks, recognizing the imperative for unity to address the nation's challenges.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said in an interview with CNN Philippines that he believes the exploratory talks will lead to lasting peace. However, military units continue their operations against the communist insurgents, he said.
“Tagal na ‘yan (peace talks). That dates back to the time of Lapu-Lapu. I advise the government to proceed and completely end the insurgency project once and for all. It is already going downhill. You just have to push it. Just a little shove would do,” Duterte said.
Duterte said if the peace talks resume, he can only hope it will improve and change for the better. He added that at least a better part of the talks would succeed to make way for the succeeding negotiations to prosper.
“Until now, I am still confused about that (the expenditures on the peace talks). Perhaps it would be better to start with civil society, a responsible society not aligned with the communists,” the former President said.
The government, represented by Special Assistant to President Secretary Anton Lagdameo, initiated the exploratory talks by signing the joint statement with the NDFP.
Referring to “significant socioeconomic and environmental concerns, along with foreign security threats,” the joint statement explained the necessity to come together as a nation to tackle these challenges and address the root causes of the armed conflict.
Vice President Sara Duterte described the joint communique as a pact with malevolence, highlighting her belief that the communist movement has never genuinely pursued discussions about peace.
During the Duterte administration, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) emerged as the nation’s primary tool in dealing with the communist insurgency. But the task force gained notoriety for labeling progressive individuals as communist terrorists.
The country has the longest-running insurgency in all of Asia, spanning 50 years and this prolonged struggle has resulted in the loss of roughly 40,000 lives.
No President has effectively managed to resolve this and the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) reported 40 rounds of peace negotiations between the government and the communists in 2016.
The initial official peace negotiation during the Duterte administration was held in Oslo, Norway from August 22 to 28, 2016. A month before this, Duterte announced a ceasefire with the NPA as a component of the continuing talks.
A year into the Duterte presidency, he stopped the negotiations, asserting that the communists “lacked...sincerity and commitment in pursuing authentic and meaningful peace talks as they were involved in acts of violence and hostilities.”