AFP maintains CPP-NPA should be blamed for failed peace talks

The military on Wednesday said the communists should be blamed for the failed peace negotiations between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

In a statement, Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, spokesperson for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said the talks were aborted due to the "insincerity, duplicity, and cunning" of the CPP's armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).

"During the same lull in the fighting, the NPA continues their extortion activities, burning of farm implements, and government's heavy equipment doing public works projects, and continue their recruitment, regrouping, and refurbishing," he said.

He also mentioned the alleged part by the communists to overthrow the Duterte administration.

"They hatched this plan while the government negotiating panel was in Norway talking to [CPP founder Jose Maria] Sison, [National Democratic Front of the Philippines' Luis] Jalandoni, Tiamzon, et al.," Arevalo said.

Arevalo also said Sison is "dreaming if not hallucinating" when he said the CPP-NPA has the strength and firepower at par with the military.

"The AFP desires for our people a peace process that is transparent, genuine, sincere and without preconditions," he said.

Last  Monday, Edilberto Silva, a high-ranking official of the NPA’s Southern Tagalog Regional Party Committee (STRP), was arrested together with four others.

Silva is also reportedly a consultant of the National Democratic Front, the political wing of the CPP, who was temporarily released to participate in the peace negotiations. —Joviland Rita/KBK, GMA News