MANILA -- Malacañang on Thursday denied allegations made by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison that President Rodrigo R. Duterte has plans to put the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) under military control.
“I’m surprised even that you are giving credit to Joma Sison,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo told a reporter in a Palace briefing.
Panelo said Sison is “living in a different world” and “has lost touch with his men.”
“He started with the beautiful concept but 50 years hence, wala. Walang nangyayari, ni hindi na siya sinusunod ng mga tao niya. Otherwise kung sinusunod siya, sana walang mga violations ng ceasefire (Nothing. Nothing is happening, his men don’t even listen to him. Otherwise, if they did, there wouldn’t be any violations of ceasefire),” Panelo said.
Sison, who is currently in exile in the Netherlands, said there still a lot of leeway for corruption in OPAPP because of the arbitrariness in selecting beneficiaries and fabricating beneficiaries
He added that the resignation of Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza showed Duterte's "intolerance toward peace negotiations and his mania for all-out war."
No replacement yet
Panelo, meanwhile, said Duterte has yet to appoint Dureza’s replacement.
“Wala pa siyang sinabi (He has not mentioned anything yet). We’ll let you know as soon he appointed one,” Panelo said.
He also assured that charges will be filed against the two dismissed OPAPP executives, Undersecretary and PAMANA National Program Manager Ronald Flores and OPAPP Assistant Secretary for Support Services and PAMANA Concerns Yeshter Donn Baccay due to corruption.
On Tuesday night, Duterte announced that he has accepted Dureza’s resignation and that he has dismissed his two subordinates, Flores and Baccay. (PNA)
