Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO)
Is the honeymoon聽 finally over?
Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Carlos Zarate said on Monday the Makabayan bloc is 鈥渞eassessing鈥� its alliance with President Rodrigo Duterte following the extension of martial law in Mindanao and cancellation of peace talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF).
READ: Congress votes 261-18 to extend Mindanao martial law 鈥檛il year鈥檚 end
鈥淎ng sinasabi lang natin seryosong tinitingnan namin yung alyansa at (What we are saying here is we are seriously looking at the alliance and)聽reassessing our positions in all these major issues,鈥� Zarate told 黑料社聽during a protest action outside the Batasang Pambansa for the President鈥檚 second State of the Nation Address (Sona).
READ: Duterte: Talks with Reds 鈥榓 waste of time鈥�
Zarate said the peace talks with the NDF, 聽 now at the brink of total collapse, are a key to maintaining the alliance with Duterte.
鈥淣gayon, ang sabi ko nga ang usapang pangkapayapaan ay isang mayor na konsiderasyon. Kung talagang ito ay bibitawan na, 鈥榶un ang titingnan natin,鈥� he explained.
(Like what I said, peace talks is a major consideration in our alliance, if it will really be stopped鈥� we are looking into it.)
As of now, Zarate said, the Makabayan bloc will continue to push for its principled stance at the House of Representatives as part of the 鈥渟upermajority.鈥�
鈥淪a ngayon kabahagi kami nito, nang-gigiit kami (As of now we are part of it, we are pushing issues) constructively and in the coming days, tingnan natin (let鈥檚 see) how this would unfold,鈥� Zarate added.
The lawmaker called on Duterte not to 鈥渟quander鈥� the peace talks and let go all of the gains the government and NDF reaped from the negotiations.
鈥淚t鈥檚 precisely na kailangang tuluy-tuloy ang negosasyon dahil sa umiigting na labanan at rebelyon sa ating bayan (it is but necessary to continue the negotiations because the fight against rebellion in our country is intensifying),鈥� said Zarate. JPV/rga