By Jose Maria Sison, NDFP Chief Political Consultant
December 10, 2019
In good faith, the NDFP has proposed goodwill measures, such as reciprocal unilateral ceasefires and the release of sickly and elderly political prisoners (especially the NDFP political prisoners detained in violation of JASIG), in order to create a favorable climate for peace negotiations.
By rebuffing the NDFP proposal of goodwill measures, the GRP military and police authorities generate doubts about Duterte’s offer of peace negotiations and indicate a malicious scheme to attack the people and the revolutionary forces without any pause.
The NDFP and the revolutionary forces it represents are being challenged to fight against the escalation of military and police campaigns of suppression. They are being reminded by their own enemy to defend themselves and to intensify their own tactical offensives.
It is highly probable that Duterte’s offer of peace negotiations, preconditioned by resuming them in the Philippines, is a prelude to the escalation of attacks against the people and the revolutionary forces. The NPA can see through the ruse and will not lay itself open to attacks by declaring a ceasefire that is not reciprocated by the AFP and PNP.
Both the precondition on the NDFP to negotiate in the Philippines and under the control and surveillance of the reactionary military and police and the rejection of the proposed goodwill measures are signs that the Duterte regime is not really interested in peace negotiations but is merely trying to find a further pretext for continuing and escalating its bloody attacks against the people and the revolutionary movement.###
