ARMED COMPONENT New People鈥檚 Army guerrillas stand in formation somewhere in the Caraga region, in this photo taken in 2011. Military and defense officials claimed NPA numbers were declining quickly because of mass surrenders and defections. 鈥擠ENNIS JAY SANTOS
The police and military will oppose further attempts by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to restore peace talks with the government.
In a statement on Thursday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said that Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Maria Sison鈥檚 claim that threats had been made against NDFP negotiators Fidel Agcaoili, Luis Jalandoni and Coni Ledesma by President Duterte鈥檚 鈥渁rmed minions,鈥� which resulted in the cancellation of their trip to the Philippines, was insulting.
No respect
鈥淢r. Sison is trying his damnedest best to have his subalterns meet with the President and yet, at the same time, throws an insulting remark,鈥� Lorenzana said.
鈥淭his shows his lack of respect for the President,鈥� he added.
Lorenzana said that Sison insulted not only the Armed Forces of the Philippines聽 and the Philippine National Police when he called them the President鈥檚 armed minions, but also Mr. Duterte.
The defense secretary explained, 鈥淢inion is a term of contempt. It means a servile, fawning and an unimportant person who is at the beck and call of a powerful person.鈥�
Typical of Sison
鈥淭his is a great insult to our police and military officers and personnel who are doing their jobs with utmost dedication and professionalism in serving the Filipino people,鈥� Lorenzana said.
鈥淢r. Sison鈥檚 insult will only make the police and military dig in and oppose any overtures of peace talks from the National Democratic Front,鈥� Lorenzana added.
He said that it was typical of the CPP founding chair to blame the government for rebel leaders鈥� decision to call off their own plan to return to the country.
鈥淚t is not the government鈥檚 loss if Mr. Jalandoni and Ms. Ledesma return or not to the Philippines,鈥� Lorenzana said in Filipino.
He said it was not the government, which was 鈥渄esperate鈥� to resume peace talks or losing a large number of fighters.
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He cited the success of the government鈥檚 Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) in luring communist rebels to turn themselves in.
As a result of E-CLIP, Lorenzana said, CPP and New People鈥檚 Army, CPP鈥檚 armed wing, had been losing fighters.
E-CLIP offers cash and housing to rebels in exchange for their firearms and oath of allegiance to the government.