Communist party founder Jose Ma. Sison welcomed President Duterte’s assurance that he would not be assassinated like the late Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr. if he returns to the country, but added he will only come home after the signing of the peace agreement between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
“I welcome the assurance of safety by President Duterte. It is much better that there is such an assurance,” Sison said in a statement on Thursday.
“The most important thing is that we can dialogue and agree on how best we can serve the interest of the Filipino people, especially the toiling masses of workers and peasants through the peace negotiations and cooperation under the principles of national sovereignty, democracy and social justice,” he added.
Duterte has asked Sison to come home as the government and the NDFP agreed to resume the scuttled peace negotiations, even offering to allow communist rebels to guard the communist founder.
The President said there would be no “Aquino-style” assassination, referring to the killing of Aquino in 1983 upon his return to the country.
Sison said he would come home only after the peace agreement is signed, which he expected to happen in the next couple of months.
“For sure I shall return to the Philippines after the signing of the interim peace agreement, which is already being prepared for June, and the subsequent mutual approval of the comprehensive agreement on social and economic reforms by the GRP [Government of the Republic of the Philippines] and NDFP either in July or August,” he said.
Meanwhile, soldiers and New People’s Army (NPA) rebels clashed on Thursday in Isabela.
Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command Spokesman Col. Isagani Nato said elements of the 86th Infantry Battalion clashed with about 20 NPAs at Barangay Benguet, Echague, Isabela, at around 8:50 a.m.
“The firefight lasted for almost five minutes. No casualty on the government side was reported by the operating troops, while the rebels sustained an undetermined number of casualties,” Nato said.
In Agusan del Norte rebels reportedly killed a barangay kagawad on Wednesday.
Capt. Anthony Pueblas, civil-military operations officer of the 402nd Brigade, said Edgar Rosal Panisan of Barangay Mahaba, Cabadbaran City, Agusan del Norte, was shot by members of the Guerilla Front 21C of the NPA’s North Eastern Mindanao Regional Committee.
“Panisan is the first councilor of Barangay Mahaba,” Pueblas said, adding that the barangay official was also serving as a member of the Cafgu.