Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Saturday, May 2, dismissed calls for renewed peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF), describing the group’s actions as criminal rather than political.
Teodoro stressed that the government should not engage in formal dialogue with what he has classified as a “terrorist” organization.
“No, I object to any peace talks with the NPA. The Filipinos are at peace. They are the ones disturbing the peace so why should we talk to them?” Teodoro said.
The defense chief argued that formal talks would validate the insurgents’ motives.
“They’re committing crimes, plain and simple, and it’s terrorism, plain and simple. So to call for peace talks is to elevate the morality of their cause to something legitimate, which I cannot accept. Hindi ko matatanggap ‘yun (I cannot accept that),” he added.
Teodoro made the remarks weeks after a bloody encounter between the Philippine Army and remnants of an NPA group in Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19.
The clash resulted in the deaths of 19 alleged NPA rebels, but the CPP claimed only 10 rebel deaths, saying nine other fatalities were civilians, including University of the Philippines student leader Alyssa Alano, community journalist RJ Ledesma, and Filipino-American activists Lyle Prijoles and Kai Dana-Rene Sorem among others.
The Philippine government and the CPP-NPA-NDF remain without formal peace negotiations, years after talks collapsed amid renewed fighting and political disagreements. (Martin Sadongdong)
