Filipino church leaders warn of violence as peace talks fail

Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Thursday called President Rodrigo Duterte the "number 1 terrorist" in the country.

Duterte accused the rebel group of being unable to control its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA) rebels, in attacking the troops and civilians who refused to give them money.

"And yet Duterte is utterly malicious and shameless in threatening and scheming to label and outlaw as terrorists the suspected members and entireties of such revolutionary organizations as the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People´s Army and even such legal patriotic and progressive organizations as BAYAN and its affiliates", he added.

These reasons were: the government's rejection of the offer of the communist movement to help the military in fighting the Maute group in Marawi City; participation of U.S. troops in the battle against the Maute group "in which the NPA in Mindanao will also be affected;" and the cancellation of the fifth round of formal peace talks.

"While we agreed to resume peace talks with the aforementioned group and exerted our best efforts to accelerate the signing and implementation of the final peace agreement, the NDF-CPP-NPA has engaged in acts of violence and hostilities", Roque said.

It's about time as well that the NPA show its sincerity to attain the peace that we have all been clamoring for and the peace all Filipinos so deserve.

"So far walang ganun na official document, lahat ng nasabi are just verbal pronouncement of the president so legally we can still continue to negotiate and talk, if they still want to talk with DC-Peace", she said. "He has, in fact, walked the extra mile for peace", Roque said.

Church leaders in the Philippines warned of an upsurge in violence around the country after the government formally declared the termination of peace negotiations with communist rebels this week.

Luis Jalandoni, the former NDF chief negotiator accused Duterte of being a "saboteur" because of his decision to abruptly cancel the peace talks.

A FIFTH round of talks with communist rebels was supposed to start quietly today, November 25 in Oslo, Norway, but the meetings were scrubbed following President Rodrigo Duterte's abrupt decision to permanently terminate negotiations immediately.

Duterte's anger against the communists was reignited following the death of a 4-month-old girl who was hit by stray bullet in a rebel ambush in Bukidnon earlier this month.

Citing the CARHRIHL, Sison said Duterte should have submitted his complaints to the Joint Monitoring Committee through the government panel like the NDF did with alleged violations of the agreement committed by government forces under the all-out war policy, Oplan Kapayapaan and martial law in Mindanao.

"I will remove them from the category of a legal entity or at least a semi-movement, which would merit our attention, placing them as terrorists", he said. "I know them already", Duterte said last February.

Jumoad added that in a dialogue, it is important that both parties show "sincerity and honesty".

"Never before have we all reached this far in our negotiations with them", his statement said.

"The President has his own basis and he independently made this decision which stemmed from the feedback he had received from different agencies [and] not just from the military, but from police and local government units (LGU) as well", he said.

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