The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has expressed readiness to return to the negotiating table, following President Duterte’s remark he is “not averse” to the idea of resuming the stalled peace talks with the communists.
In a statement, the CPP said it is not closing its doors to the Duterte administration in spite of its withdrawal from the peace talks in May. “As the party and the NDF [National Democratic Front] have often stated, it is the policy of the revolutionary forces to remain open to peace negotiations with any ruling regime that expresses willingness to seriously discuss the roots of the armed conflict, in accordance with previously agreed principles and procedures as stipulated in The Hague Declaration,” the statement read.
“Thus, the peace negotiations can resume if [President] Duterte will drop his earlier precondition of a bilateral cease-fire, which became the single biggest factor which terminated the talks. The ball is still in Duterte’s hands,” the statement added.
The statement came in light of the President’s remark last Saturday that he is not averse to the idea of talking again with the communists. He said he just has to consult with his Legislative and Judicial counterparts before sending the government panel back to the negotiating table.
“Now, if you want to resume the talks, I am not averse to the idea, but let me sort out first the other branches of the government,” Duterte said.
In spite of the renewed optimism on the prospect of peace, the CPP branded the President’s statement to resume the peace talks as “part of his damage-control measures” while the administration sails in arguably the toughest period of its regime. “Duterte is widely blamed for terminating the NDFP-GRP negotiations because of his stubborn insistence to toe the United States’s line of using peace talks as an instrument for the pacification and capitulation of the revolutionary forces.”
However, the CPP made clear it is “no longer hopeful” the peace talks will achieve any substantive reform. “While open to resuming peace talks with the Duterte regime, revolutionary forces are no longer hopeful that anything substantive will come out of it in the face of Duterte’s subservience to the interests of US imperialism and other big foreign capitalist countries.”