Sara Duterte to dad: No peace talks with Reds

DAVAO CITY, Philippines  — Like a battered lover saying goodbye to the tormentor, it’s time to end the suffering.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio yesterday appealed to her father the President to reconsider his decision to resume talks with communist rebels.

“Mr. President, the country will move forward if the government is able to eliminate the rebels and end this senseless rebellion. Just like a battered lover, there is a time to finally say no to pain and suffering. No to peace talks,” Carpio said in a statement yesterday.

“I believe the insurgency problem can only be ended peacefully if the NDF (National Democratic Front) and the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, are sincere, honest and committed to working toward the direction of peace and reciprocate the gesture offered by the government,” she added. 

Duterte-Carpio pointed out that so far, there are no indications the communists are willing to negotiate for a peaceful resolution of the conflict. 

She said history showed the communists are not to be trusted as they have consistently shown their deep-seated proclivity to sow hate, violence and extremism, destruction, and senseless killings.

Duterte-Carpio said the CPP-NPA-NDF are groups motivated by the desire to overthrow the government and rule the nation. 

“For them, peace is not an option. And that’s because they are terrorists,” she said.

After labeling the communists as terrorists, President Duterte declared he was open to resuming talks with the rebels, saying he no longer wants to kill fellow Filipinos who are fighting for their principles. 

Duterte said it’s about time that the government and the communists make peace, noting they have been fighting for 50 years. 

Duterte had ordered his officials to work on the resumption of talks with directives to forge a ceasefire agreement.

He said he is not giving any condition to resume the moribund peace talks with communist rebels.

“It’s not a condition, it’s a timeline. There are no conditions given. Do they understand the nomenclature of a timeline and a condition?” Duterte said here early yesterday after his arrival from China and Hong Kong.

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison said they are willing to go back to the negotiating table if only the government does not demand any preconditions for the peace talks to continue.

There has been no agreement yet for the resumption of peace negotiations which the government said could only resume if the rebels agree to some conditions.

These conditions include declaring an absolute ceasefire, putting an end to a supposed clamor for a coalition government and stopping the collection of so-called revolutionary taxes.

Duterte said within the two-month period, he will give his demands and the other side can also have theirs, which he said would be the time to start negotiating.

Duterte said the two-month timeline would be when he gives his personal and official guarantee that the communists who arrive here for the talks will not be arrested. 

The President said he is making it clear with the rebels that there should be a ceasefire with government forces. 

“There should be no taxation, no atrocities, no nothing. Just come here as a plain citizen, you are protected by our policy of rapprochement with an open heart,” Duterte said. 

And if the rebels continue to do just that, the President said then they should just forget about talking. 

“There has to be a ceasefire. Not a single shot fired. Even a pump gun, air rifle, no taxation, no… just stay and I believe that they will have the camps where they can stay in the meantime,” he added. 

The President said the communist rebels are apparently financially strapped.

“That is why I said, I am willing to spend. If I want peace, I must invest in peace,” Duterte said.

He urged all the communist leaders to come home and he will pay for everything, including their hotel accommodations.

Duterte said he would also deliver relief assistance to all the rebel camps.

“Until such time maybe, in the fullness of God’s time, we might have a concrete and substantial peace agreement to sign maybe by December and some will ask why I am in a hurry… well I am not entirely spending my money on this. This is not my money, this is people’s money and it’s an extraordinary expense,” he said. 

The President said he would explain before Congress how the money would be spent on such purpose for the rebels. 

“I’ll try to explain it to them that this is in furtherance of my desire… of our desire, of the nation’s desire to have peace,” he said.

Before flying home, Duterte told the Filipino workers in Hong Kong that he is expecting “new developments” on the peace talks in the coming days.

“In the coming days, we’ll see new developments,” the President told about 2,500 Filipino workers there.

Duterte, however, maintained he is against a coalition government with the communists, a setup that he said would go against the Constitution. 

Duterte reiterated that only those who were elected by the people should govern the country. 

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said Duterte is determined to end the decades-old insurgency in the country.

In an interview with CNN Philippines yesterday, Dureza said the resumption of talks is in line with the President’s “personal advocacy (and) ambition” as well as his “mission and vision.”

“He (Duterte) would like to bring sustainable and just peace in the land,” Dureza said. 

Dureza also pointed out the President is taking into consideration the public’s desire to conclude the conflict.

“I’m sure it’s not only him (Duterte) that is very anxious to have that conclusion, even the people are expecting it,” Dureza said.

Dureza said the President has given a two-month timeline to reopen the talks, which stalled in November 2017 due to escalated violence on the ground.

“We’ll work on it definitely and the way you listen to the other side, Joma Sison says he welcomes all this. I think they will be with us to start it early,” Dureza said. – Alexis Romero, Christina Mendez, Jose Rodel Clapano, Gilbert Bayoran