MANILA -- President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday said he is not yet lifting his proclamation tagging the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) as a terror organization.
“Not yet,” Duterte answered when asked if he is willing to lift the proclamation, in a press conference upon his arrival from the Singapore ASEAN Leaders Summit at the Davao International Airport.
Duterte signed the proclamation in December last year, tagging the CPP-NPA as a terror group, based on Republic Act No. 10168 or the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012.
Despite the proclamation, Duterte said he would still give the CPP-NPA a small "window" to talk peace by inviting CPP founder Jose Maria "Joma" Sison to return to the Philippines.
“I would have crossed the fine line of governance. I told Sison, you return home, I pay everything for two months, hotel and food. And the NPAs to come down, stay there in a camp of your choice, but do not go out of the camp bringing guns. Stay there, then we talk,” Duterte said.
Duterte said he is ready to listen to anybody, even to Sison’s lecture on how to improve the lives of the Filipino people.
The President said his mission in pursuing peace is to bring comfortable life for the Filipino people without using guns.
“I would save lives. Filipinos against the government, you cannot expect our people in unison to toe the line. I also save the lives of the soldiers and policemen,” Duterte said.
“So I’ve left a small window. Only 60 days. Before, they wanted me to go to Amsterdam. But you know, it would not look good for a President to be chasing the elusive peace,” he added.
The President, however, maintained he would not agree with Sison’s demand for a “coalition government”.
“Coalition is out of the question. Maybe, economic reforms and everything,” Duterte said.
“Ten years from now, all of us are inutile or no longer around. So, it is good as any other time to talk about peace. But one thing that which I cannot surrender is really a coalition government. That cannot happen,” the 73-year-old leader added. (PNA)
