CPP's Sison says Duterte's ‘lack of interest’ led to scuttling of talks

Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison, responding to comments made by President Rodrigo Duterte during his second State of the Nation Address (SONA), said that the peace between the Philippine government and the communist insurgents had failed because of the president's "lack of interest."

In a statement, Sison claimed that Duterte’s indifference over social, economic, and political reforms was the reason why he had said that resuming the peace talks was a “waste of time."

"He is only interested in demanding the surrender of the revolutionary movement through a protracted and indefinite kind of ceasefire ahead of any comprehensive  agreement on reforms,” the communist leader wrote.

Also, responding to Duterte “belittling” of the left for its "lack of victory”, Sison argued that a politician’s idea of a victory differed from that of a revolutionary's.

"The revolutionaries think and act to win in terms of building the revolutionary party of the proletariat (CPP), the people’s army (NPA), the mass organizations of various classes and sectors, the alliance of revolutionary forces (NDFP) and the local organs of political power (the people’s democratic government),” Sison said.

The communist leader added that Duterte should "wake up to the fact that there are already two governments in the Philippines,” the other being the revolutionary faction of workers and peasants led by the CPP.

Sison also pointed out that Duterte had pretty much admitted during the SONA that "his job or duty is merely to bully and kill what he calls the 'enemies of the state'.”

He advised the president to be wary of  "his tendency and personal temperament to violate the human rights of his political rivals, critics and the poor people suspected of being drug addicts and pushers.”

Sison reminded Duterte of the failed attempt by the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos to "finish off the revolutionary forces with martial law and other brutal measures,” and that revolutionary forces would continue to grow and would outlast President Duterte’s regime.

Cheap words

Sison also remarked that words poured “cheaply” out of President Duterte’s mouth.

“He admits to being a liar when he said that he would like to become the first left president of the Philippines,” Sison said. "He does not mean what he says when he is out to hoodwink the people.”

He accused Duterte of telling another "blatant" lie when the the president insinuated that he was sick with cancer.

"Rheumatology Department of the Utrecht University Medical Center and was released with a clean bill of health on March 20, after three weeks of diagnosis and treatment and one week of observing  that I was cured,” Sison wrote.

"Duterte himself is an old man at 72.  I am only 6 years older than him. So what is the public issue?”

Duterte, during Monday's State of the Nation Address, had directed profanity-laden taunts at Sison and the communist movement.

"Ikaw Sison, 'tang... Mag-uminom ka ng Tang orange. Matanda ka na,” Duterte had said.

"I am still physically and mentally strong, trying hard as NDFP chief political consultant to help in the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations, which have been scuttled by Duterte,” Sison replied. — Margaret Claire Layug/DVM, GMA News