Category: news reports

“How comfortable can I go to the Philippines? There are so many assassinations even of government officials. And the President is gleeful by a mayor of Tanauan is murdered by only expert riflemen from the police and the army,” he said.

The Source: CNN Philippines interview with NDFP consultant Rey Casambre
by Mai Rodriguez
CNN Philippines

During the stretch between March and June this year, four backchannel talks were held in Utrecht, The Netherlands to pave way for the signing of a peace accord between the government of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

However, the founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) is adamant that he will not come back to the Philippines for the talks, contrary to reports that he has agreed to return to the country sometime in August this year.

“I will not return to the Philippines earlier than the completion and signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms by the negotiating panels in a foreign neutral venue,” Sison said.

The guerrillas accused the government of holding the talks hostage as Duterte consolidated his power amid increasing opposition to his administration that has overseen police-sanctioned killings in the name of a brutal anti-drugs campaign.

Sison accused the government of being “inconsistent and self-contradictory” even after the meeting between the government and NDFP panels early this week in Utrecht.

The government and the communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have declared agreement to continue peace negotiations, but only after a three-month lull in back-channel talks.

“Why should we go into consultations with the Filipino people with the GRP arranging, controlling them and inviting the NDFP to them?” Sison said in response to a statement made by government negotiator Hernani Braganza that the NDFP is considering their invitation to join the public consultations.
He added, “In the first place, NDFP is intimately linked with the Filipino people, especially the oppressed and exploited people.”

Sison earlier told ABS-CBN News he was optimistic he could visit Manila within the year depending on the outcome of negotiations on substantive portions of the peace talks.