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PEACE TALKS

Joma says gov’t ‘inconsistent, self-contradictory’


Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison on Thursday accused the government of being "inconsistent" and "self-contradictory" as he questioned the government negotiating panel's move to review all agreements reached during the on-and-off peace talks.

"The GRP (government) side is inconsistent and self-contradictory," he said in a statement.

"It seems to wish that the gains and agreements made in the back channel talks be preserved but it has informed the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) that Duterte will review everything (process and agreements) since decades ago in 3 months."

Sison, on self-exile in The Netherlands, said that it is "highly probable" that President Rodrigo Duterte will "come up with more demands unacceptable to the NDFP."

Sison made the statement after a government team informed NDFP negotiators in The Netherlands that it is suspending backchannel talks for three months to review past agreements reached by the two parties during the course of the negotiations.

Sison suspects the government will use the three-month period to intensify offensives against communist rebels.

"There is no ceasefire in the next three months because Duterte wants to launch his military offensives first and find out the results," he said.

Saying Duterte "continues to kill the peace negotiations," Sison said the NDFP can continue peace negotiations with succeeding administrations."

"The broad united front of patriotic and progressive forces and the people´s war are advancing and can oust the Duterte regime in due time," he said. —Rie Takumi/KBK, GMA News

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