Lacson wants localized talks with Reds, Joma out of the picture

Peace talks with communist rebels could be better off done in the local rather than in the national level, and long self-exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison (Joma) should be out of the picture, Senator Panfilo Lacson said Sunday.

The situations of the communist movement differ from place to place and localized negotiations is more practical, Lacson told Nimfa Ravelo in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday.

"Nag-suggest ako noon kay Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza na bakit hindi natin gawing  localized ang talks, kasi hindi naman pare-pareho ang sitwasyon sa bawat probinsya?" the senator said. 

Besides, he said, coursing the talks through Joma is not practical. "Kapag idinaan mo lagi sa kaniya, eh wala naman na siyang control sa baba, sa New People's Army."

Areas where there is heavy presence of the NPA (the armed wing if the Communist Party of the Philippines) should be focused on at a much later time.

"I-address muna natin ang kapayapaan dun sa mga lugar na less ang presence ng NPA para makausad na sila. Yung ibang lugar na malakas sila ayudahan ng national government." This approach, he said, is more practical. 

More over, he pointed out that with Joma out of the picture, the talks would be easy.

"Mas makabubuti ang usapang pangkapayapaan kung wala si Joma,"  he said, adding that the CPP founder belongs to the old school with only one agenda in mind —grab power from the government.

"So bakit tayo makikipag-usap sa mga grupong ang agenda ay pabagsakin ang gobyerno?"

Lacson's renewed called for localized negotiations with the Reds came on the heels of a fresh push for the resumption of peace talks that Duterte, early this year, had called off due to the NPA's continued attacks on government forces.

Backchannel negotiations had resulted in new push for the talks' resumption that was agreed to start in late June this year.

But Duterte called the process off again, saying he was not yet ready as he still needed to consult the people.

The CPP accused the administration of postponing the talks to give way for the military's all-out offensives against the NPA, and pressure it to talk surrender.

Enraged by Duterte's move, Joma called for the President's ouster instead. This also came after Duterte insisted that the talks should be done in the Philippines and not outside.

But later, Joma softened his stance and said that peace talks is still possible.

According to him, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, of which he is the political adviser, has the final say on whether to call off or proceed with the talks. —LBG, GMA News