Reds never allied with Duterte, Sison says

An alliance between President Rodrigo Duterte and the National Democratic Front never existed despite the appointment of Left-nominated individuals to Cabinet posts, NDF Chief Political Consultant Jose Maria Sison recently said.

In a speech delivered in September, Sison said as many as four cabinet posts to the Communist Party of the Philippines publicly but added that the CPP could not accept any government position while the peace talks were ongoing.

He indicated the NDF only nominated "meritorious" as a "goodwill measure" in light of the peace process.

“There was never a united front deal. As a matter of fact, Duterte doesn’t want a coalition government but only an inclusive government under his leadership," Sison said.

"It is by way of undertaking goodwill measure that the NDFP recommended meritorious individuals,” he added.

The NDFP and CPP leader made the remarks at the reopening of the National Democratic Front International Information Office in Utrecht, The Netherlands on September 15.

Two officials nominated by the Left has since been rejected by the Commission on Appointments. They are former Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano and former Social Welfare and Development Secretary Judy Taguiwalo.

Sison said that "comrades" in Mindanao have described Duterte as "capable of saying and doing anything that is left, middle or right, depending on what serves him from moment to moment."

He added that Southern Mindanao communists described Duterte as a "bureaucrat capitalist – a politician who creates private wealth for himself using his public office."

Despite this, Sison said Duterte could still be accepted as an ally of the NDFP though the recommendation "is conditional to the peace negotiations." —NB, GMA News