MANILA – The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) is urging all Filipinos to closely scrutinize the motives of the communist insurgents and consider the group's history of insincerity since 1987.
The task force's announcement came after the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) demanded for the resumption of peace talks, even as it launched a “3rd Rectification Movement” calling for the NPA to intensify the “protracted people’s war” against the government during its 55th anniversary on Dec. 26.
“The history of failed negotiations, the continuing perpetration of violence, and inconsistent statements all contribute to a narrative that challenges the authenticity of the CPP-NPA-NDF’s commitment to a peaceful resolution. It is essential that we approach future discussions with a discerning eye,” National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya said in a statement Wednesday night.
The NSC official also urged the public to be wary of the insurgents' motives, by quoting NDF negotiator Luis Jalandoni’s own words that “peace talks are another form of legal struggle which is possible to be used by the revolutionary forces in order to advance the revolutionary armed struggle and the revolutionary mass movement.”
Malaya also emphasized that part of the Nov. 23, 2023 Oslo joint communique agreement was for the CPP-NPA-NDF to abandon the armed struggle, transform into a political movement and become a government partner for peace and development.
The ultimate goal of the government is to prevent more bloodshed and avoid loss of more Filipino lives from the senseless Maoist-inspired protracted war being waged by the NPA, he added. (PNA)
