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VP Duterte tells Marcos: Resuming peace talks with communist rebels an 'agreement with the devil'

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte answer questions as they hold a press briefing in Manila on August 14, 2023. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File " src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/12/04/20230814-marcos-duterte-brigada-eskwela-jc0792.jpg"/><figcaption>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Vice President Sara Duterte answer questions as they hold a press briefing in Manila on August 14, 2023. <em>Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File </em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Vice President Sara Duterte on Monday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to review a government deal with communist rebels for the resumption of peace talks, which she dubbed as an &quot;agreement with the devil.&quot; </p><p>In a joint statement signed in the Norwegian capital of Oslo, the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) last week said they &quot;agree to come up with a framework that sets the priorities for the peace negotiation.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/11/29/23/philippine-govt-rebels-agree-to-peace-negotiations">Philippine government, rebels agree to peace negotiations</a></li></ul><p>&quot;The government’s statement with the NDFP in Oslo was an agreement with the devil,&quot; Duterte said in a Facebook message, addressing Marcos. </p><p>&quot;Napatunayan na natin sa kasaysayan na hindi sila seryoso at wala silang sinseridad sa usaping pangkapayapaan. Gagamitin nila itong peace negotiation sa pagtraydor sa pamahalaan at paglinlang sa taumbayan. We appeal to your power to review these proclamations and agreements,&quot; she added. </p><p>The last time peace talks were held was during the administration of the Vice President&#x27;s father, former president Rodrigo Duterte -- a self-declared socialist and a former student of Jose Maria Sison, who launched the decades-long insurgency.</p><p>The peace talks under the previous administration devolved into threats and recrimination, with Duterte officially cutting them off in 2017, declaring the group a terrorist organization and accusing them of killing police and soldiers while negotiations were underway. </p><p>In her statement, the younger Duterte cited the alleged killings and opposed the grant of amnesty to former rebels through proclamations recently signed by Marcos. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/24/23/marcos-grants-amnesty-to-former-rebels">Marcos grants amnesty to former rebels &#x27;to foster lasting peace&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>&quot;Sumusuporta ako sa mga hakbang para itaguyod ang kapayapaan sa bansa because the fight against terrorists is deeply personal to me, as it is deeply personal to the families of countless Filipinos whose lives were forever upended because of the madness of terrorists. Pero hindi ang pagbibigay ng amnestiya ang daan sa kapayapaan,&quot; Duterte argued. </p><p>&quot;Ang dapat nating gawin ay ipagpatuloy ang ating mga nasimulan sa NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) at mas palakasin pa ang mga ito. Panalo na tayo, lumalaban na ang mga komunidad,&quot; she continued. <br/> <br/>Duterte also urged Marcos to &quot;honor the memory of those who died in the senseless and bloody attacks&quot; of communist revels. </p><p>&quot;Mr. President, we can negotiate for peace and reconciliation and pursue meaningful development efforts in the Philippines without capitulating to the enemies. Hiling namin na kami ay mapakinggan,&quot; Duterte said. </p><p>She made the statement on the 5th founding anniversary of NTF-ELCAC. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/10/23/sara-duterte-designated-co-vice-chair-of-ntf-elcac">Sara Duterte designated co-vice chair of anti-insurgency task force</a></li></ul><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2891868" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><p>The ongoing armed struggle, launched in 1969, grew out of the global communist movement and found fertile soil for recruitment among the Philippines&#x27; rural poor.</p><p>At its peak in the 1980s, the group boasted about 26,000 fighters, a number the military says has now dwindled to less than 2,000.</p><p>Successive Philippine administrations have held peace talks with the communists through their Netherlands-based political arm, the NDF. </p><p>The latest effort followed informal discussions in the Netherlands and Norway that began in 2022 and were facilitated by the Norwegian government, officials told reporters in Manila. </p><p>Philippine military chief General Romeo Brawner said the resumption of talks was &quot;very good news for us&quot;.</p><p>&quot;If this conflict will finally end, your Armed Forces of the Philippines will be able to shift our focus to external or territorial defense,&quot; Brawner said.</p><p>But until there was a &quot;final agreement&quot;, he said the military would &quot;continue our operations against the New People&#x27;s Army&quot;, the armed wing of the Philippines&#x27; communist party.</p><p>The announcement comes almost a year after Sison died in self-imposed exile in the Netherlands.</p><p>At the time, the Philippines&#x27; defense ministry said his death could finally lead to an end of violence in the country, calling Sison the &quot;greatest stumbling block&quot; to peace. </p><div><strong>— With a report from Agence France-Presse </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/XSrRuMidUxc?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div><div> </div>

VP Duterte urged President Marcos Jr. to review a government deal with communist rebels for the resumption of peace talks. 