Joma Sison: 'Duterte play-acting, out to rig midterm elections'

MANILA, Philippines — The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has claimed that President Duterte was merely play-acting when he announced plans to resume negotiations with the National Democratic Front (NDF) and also alleged that the Chief Executive is out to rig the midterm elections.

“By all indications, Duterte is merely play-acting in the name of peace while carrying out an all-out war and scheming to rig the May 2019 elections in order to pave the way for a fascist dictatorship through Charter change to a bogus federalism,” Jose Maria Sison said.  

Sison, who is also the NDF’s chief political consultant, added that he cannot negotiate with the allegedly militarized Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, headed by Carlito Galvez Jr.

Sison said the NDF does not want to be baited into accepting a war panel of the Duterte administration whose purpose is allegedly to seek the impossible, such as the surrender of the CPP’s revolutionary forces, especially the New People’s Army.

“The NDF must remind Duterte that he cannot dictate the terms of whatever kind of negotiations he seeks from the revolutionary movement of the people,” Sison said.