Joma Sison wants Duterte alive to pay for crimes

UTRECHT – If he could have his way, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison would rather see President Duterte live long enough to pay for his crimes.

In a sit-down interview with The STAR last week, Sison raised the issue of health concerns hounding the President, who recently underwent procedures supposedly in relation to a medical condition in his digestive tract.

“He can keep his life until he can be arrested by the ICC (International Criminal Court) or by the people’s court. It’s an easy way out for him if he dies,” Sison said in a mix of English and Filipino.

“I would rather keep him alive. And who knows, while he’s alive maybe he can think of resuming the peace negotiations,” he added.

He said Duterte could be suffering from a serious illness, and even claimed he had fallen into a coma.

Malacañang has repeatedly denied Sison’s claims. Duterte himself announced that he tested negative for cancer after undergoing endoscopy and colonoscopy.

For his part, Sison belied the President’s claim that the communist leader is suffering from a terminal illness, saying his recent tests were negative of any serious medical condition.

“They are very thorough (when they conduct the tests). Final findings: no cancer, no cardiac problem, no blood disorder,” the 79-year-old CPP founder said.

Peace negotiations

While hopeful that Duterte would change his mind on the stalled peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front (NDF), Sison appeared to be doubtful that it would push through under the present administration.

He noted Duterte’s Proclamation 360 and 374, which terminated the peace negotiations and declared the CPP and its armed wing the New People’s Army as terrorist organizations.

“It was very promising up to the time that he won… He promised the amnesty and the release of all political prisoners. He offered. But soon after that he was taking it back,” he said.

“You cannot threaten or fool the movement. You will promise something and then you will not follow through. That is taken against you,” he added.

Sison described Duterte’s pledge to wipe out the NPA before the end of the year as “ambitious,” saying it is impossible to end the movement unless its root causes are addressed.

“How can you extricate all the NPA from the masses and their terrain, the social and physical terrain?” he said. “Communists are not simple minded. The communists will strike roots by presenting to you the current problems and what are the immediate solutions.”

Unity gov’t possible

Sison also maintained that a coalition government would not undermine the country’s sovereignty as claimed by Duterte.

“It’s not socialist,” he said. “It’s possible to have a peace agreement towards a government of national unity, peace and development.”

Duterte earlier said he could not agree to the demand for a coalition government as it may have an impact on sovereignty or on the power of elected leaders to run the country.

“Sovereignty resides in the people and is delegated to the representatives of the people and to the President and to the Supreme Court,” he said in a speech in March.