MANILA, Philippines — There’s no way for the communist rebels to overthrow the government, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said yesterday.
Lorenzana said the only chance for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) to rule the country is for them to win in the elections, which the Filipino people will not allow.
Lorenzana dismissed claims made by CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison that the NPA’s main goal for this year onward is to work for the ouster of President Duterte with the support of the Filipino people.
“While it is very difficult to completely eradicate the communist’s armed component to the last man, we believe that we have enough momentum, support and resources to render the (communists) and their political ally irrelevant by 2022,” Lorenzana said.
Last year, the military leadership as well as Malacañang declared it can defeat the NPA by the middle of this year but had to reset their target date, citing the country’s enormous insurgency problem.
Lorenzana, however, remains optimistic, saying the NPA will be downgraded into a bunch of criminals that the police can deal with by the end of President Duterte’s term.
He added Sison and his comrades in exile abroad will soon be forgotten.
Lorenzana said he is supporting the President’s decision not to employ purely military solutions in ending the country’s decades-old insurgency problem.
“The defense department fully supports the President’s decision. Working closely with local government units, we are actively pursuing local peace initiatives such as localized peace talks, community support and development and promotion of good governance,” he said.
While focused military operations will weaken the NPA, Lorenzana said the promise of a better life for the families of rebels would bring them back to the fold of the law.