MANILA, Philippines — Communist rebels should immediately stop their attacks and extortion activities if they want to resume peace negotiations with the government.
Department of the Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Eduardo Año stressed this Thursday, saying there is a need for an “enabling environment” for the insurgents and the government panel to hear each other out and to arrive at sincere agreements.
“You cannot demand peace yet do violence,” the former Armed Forces of the Philippines chief-of-staff said.
He added that going back to the negotiating table needs “confidence-building measures.”
“There is no use talking peace if government forces and civilians are dying and the Communist Party of the Philippines/New People’s Army/National Democratic Front continues to conduct criminal activities, particularly arson. It is contrary to getting back to the peace table,” Año said.
In a Palace briefing Thursday, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said government operations against the NPA will continue until negotiation panels agree to a resumption of talks.
During the observance of Holy Week, alleged NPA insurgents torched heavy equipment for infrastructure projects in Davao City.
Dureza: Davao City attacks a setback
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza called the attacks a “setback” for the resumption of the peace negotiations, which was formally scrapped by President Rodrigo Duterte last year. The communist guerrillas earned the ire of Duterte, a self-describes socialist, for their continued assaullts on security forces—an attack on a police vehicle in Bukidnon in November left an infant dead.
Defense chief Delfin Lorenzana, on many occasions, has said he is not keen on the revival of peace negotiations with the rebels, citing supposedly unreasonable demands.
READ: Palace sets conditions for resumption of peace talks with communists
Duterte, however, wanted to give another “last chance” for peace with the communist rebels.
Malacañang on Thursday said that talks can resume if the rebels agree to the conditions set by the government, which include declaring an absolute ceasefire, putting an end to the supposed clamor for a coalition government and stopping the collection of so-called revolutionary taxes.
In a statement Wednesday night, Jose Maria Sison—founder of the CPP and chief political consultant of the NDFP—said that formal talks will give the panels an avenue to “present conflicting positions and subsequently seek to solve the problems on mutually acceptable grounds.”
He has repeatedly said that the insurgents are open and ready to go back to the negotiating table.
READ: ‘Sincere’ NDFP ready to resume peace talks, Joma says