Topic: Philippines

He has no economic program different from that of his reactionary predecessors: retention of the semifeudal character of the economy along the neoliberal line.

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.

“Duterte is showing complete antipathy towards holding serious peace negotiations with the NDF, and merely wants to hold hostage and completely paralyze the talks,” the CPP said.

The CPP said Duterte wants to use the cancellation of the agreements to resume talks with the NDF to justify his total war and advance his scheme to establish “a fascist dictatorship and impose nationwide martial law.”

On the basis of the unrevoked Proclamation Nos. 360 and 374 as well as recent announcements and indications being made by Duterte himself and other GRP officials, many people expect that Duterte will make from his ¨review¨ certain conclusions and demands that he will try to impose on the NDFP and that NDFP will certainly refuse, thus rendering impossible peace negotiations between GRP and NDFP, at least for as long as Duterte is in power.