Left rejects anew government demand to lay down arms

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has again rejected President Duterte’s demand for the New People’s Army (NPA) to surrender for the peace negotiations to continue.

The CPP said Duterte’s demand reveals his “fascist narrow-mindedness.”

“By doing so, (Duterte) treats Red fighters with extreme contempt, choosing to ignore the social realities of oppression and exploitation and the aspiration for national and social liberation which continue to drive thousands, especially peasant masses, to join and support the NPA,” the CPP said.

The CPP, which claims to still have absolute control of the NPA around the country instead warned they will continue to carry out tactical offensives in order to hold the Duterte administration accountable “for all its crimes and rights abuses.”

On Wednesday, the CPP threw out Duterte’s declaration of openness in the resuming peace negotiations after NPA rebels freed a captive policemen, saying it was “pure talk.”

They said the peace negotiations can resume if Duterte drops his earlier precondition of a bilateral ceasefire.

The CPP insisted addressing the roots of the armed conflict in accordance with previously agreed principles and procedures under The Hague Declaration.

The CPP also said they are no longer hopeful that anything substantive will come out “in the face of Duterte’s subservience to the interests of US imperialism and other big foreign capitalist countries.”

Meanwhile, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) had adopted a declaration on the continuous rise of radicalization and violent extremism in the region.?

ASEAN officials on transnational crime adopted the Manila Declaration to “Counter the Rise of Radicalization and Violent Extremism,” Department of the Interior and Local Government officer-in-charge Catalino Cuy said.

Cuy said the declaration was adopted last week during the 11th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) held at Conrad Manila in Pasay City.?

“From our experiences in the past, we have learned that we can achieve greater heights when we collaborate with one another. We should, therefore exhibit the same cooperation to counter the rise of radicalization and violent extremism in our region. The Manila Declaration firms up this partnership to counter these threats,” Cuy said.

He said adoption of the Manila Declaration signifies the strong determination of the ASEAN region “to work together in effectively addressing these threats.”?

Through the Manila Declaration, AMMTC leaders vowed to counter radicalization and violent extremism, in particular, those which lead to terrorism in all forms and manifestations, through the prevention of radicalization, financing, recruitment and mobilization of individuals into terrorist groups. – With Cecille Suerte Felipe