Sison may be right in assessing President Duterte, also in part because the President had been his student in college and also because the President seemed too transparent for peace negotiations that would require discretion more than, well, absolute openness.
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N ever known for his softly softly approach, Rodrigo Duterte has wasted no time in pressing ahead with some of his more combative campaign pledges.
“We are hoping that we can just talk”.
“The ambush was in adherence to the directive by the NPA National Operations Command for Red fighters to maintain on alert status and on active defense mode in response to” Duterte’s ceasefire declaration.
The CPP said the Central Committee had been drafting its interim ceasefire declaration since July 25 to promote the peace negotiations.
Less than a month in office, Duterte has explicitly named China for the first time as one of the countries harboring major drug lords who smuggle drugs into the country.
So, who’s calling the shots here? “You don’t pay taxes, you’re actually the one exacting (taxes) from all of them here, let’s not fool each other”, from banana, pineapple plantations, he said. Whom do you believe in?
President Duterte should rethink his position regarding the wisdom of parleying with Sison as the latter’s supposed “warriors” in the Philippines continue to resort to all kinds of lawlessness and banditry.
She said the program that Philippine Army has implemented supposedly to bring military closer to the people through community-based activities, has been “a cause of unpeace in many struggling communities and grassroots organizations fighting for genuine change”. They could not even get to elect a leftist. “I hope we can proceed with the talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines [CPP]”, he added.
“And so, the best way really is to talk again and find out whether it is reachable or beyond our reach”, he added.
“I am hereby ordering the immediate lifting of the ceasefire”, Duterte said.
Duterte says he will scuttle his ceasefire order, which he made Monday, if New People’s Army guerrillas will not declare their readiness to match it with their own truce by 5 p.m. Saturday.
Duterte flew to Davao del Norte on Friday to attend the militiaman’s wake.
Padilla cited another incident in Agusan del Sur where NPA rebels ambushed another group of government troops.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has withdrawn a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels after his ultimatum for the group to reciprocate lapsed.
The President said he will also address the problem in Mindanao, particularly the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). I am the President talking properly to you to have peace in this land.
“They (the Abu Sayyaf) are just out to derail the life of a nation”, Duterte said.
He noted that rebellion under the Revised Penal Code is penalized up to 12 years, not the maximum penalty.
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Dureza, too, said peace talks would go on as scheduled, on August 20. “Bakit man ako – hindi naman ako insecure”, the President said.
