'Someday I will return to PHL, physically or in ashes' —Joma Sison

Dead or alive, Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria "Joma" Sison on Tuesday vowed to return to the Philippines.

But for now, Sison said in an interview on ANC, his actions in the country are limited to what he can do through the Internet.

"Someday I will return, physically or in ashes after my cremation. But I always consider myself being in the Philippines, especially in this digital age, so long as I talk (about) the demands of the people," he said.

"I am with the people, I have many comrades, friends in the Philippines. So I don't really care when I shall be able to return to the Philippines," Sison continued.

He then claimed there was noblesse oblige or responsibility generated by privilege among "the corrupt, the plunderers" in the Philippines to make way for each other, and that this allowed the Marcoses and Cojuangcos to return despite their exile.

"They make way for each other even when they appear to be fighting each other, competing for power. But they are basically the same people, of the same ruling class exploiting the people," Sison said.

"There is no lack of connections and interconnections for someone who is already kicked out like Marcos, and his heirs, they can return to the Philippines and redivide what they stole from the people," he added.

Sison canceled plans to return to the Philippines following President Rodrigo Duterte's cancellation of the resumption of formal peace talks in Oslo, Norway in June this year. —Rie Takumi/KG, GMA News