‘Localized peace talks best way to end insurgency’

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the best way to end the country’s decades-old insurgency problem is through localized peace talks with the senior New People’s Army leaders on the ground and not with the NPA, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and National Democratic Front (NDF) leaders abroad.

“Our local peace initiatives I think will bring faster gains. We can end this insurgency because our local chief executives are directly talking with local commanders of the NPAs,” said AFP chief Lt. Gen. Felimon Santos Jr.

Through the localized peace talks, the local government units (LGUs) are directly informed by local NPA commanders about their grievances against the government. They can immediately institute actions that address these concerns.

He added that what drove the people, especially those in far-flung communities, to join the NPA is the absence of governance and government services in their communities.

“Mostly, people complained of being jobless and this issue is now being addressed through the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP),” Santos said.

Through E-CLIP that provides an array of assistance to NPA rebels who want to return to the fold of the law, the LGUs were able convince a big number of regular communist fighters, supporters and sympathizers to surrender.

Asked about his position on moves to resume peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF, Santos said that he only heard from the President that he is only interested in having one-on-one talks with Sison.

National Security Adviser (NSA) Hermogenes Esperon Jr. himself has openly objected to the resumption of peace talks with the CPP, NPA and NDF leadership. 

“My objections on the peace talks are neither because I am on the hit list of the NPA nor because the NPA had attacked an AFP detachment or municipal hall where armed forces or police officers are posted,” Esperon said.

He added peace talks is simply being used by the CPP, NPA and NDF as a form of legal struggle, as this does not replace the revolutionary armed struggle nor the revolutionary mass movement.

“In fact, it should advance the revolutionary armed struggle and the revolutionary mass movement which is a more important struggle than peace negotiations,” Esperon stressed.