Joma's exclusive franchise

By Victoria Patria

SO, it is very clear now. If Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Maria "Joma" Sison is just 'simply a senior political consultant'' of the National Democratic Front (NDF), as he would like to insist about his role in the peace process of the government with the CPP-NPA-NDF, then how can a mere 'political consultant' arbitrarily decide with certainty and brazenness of arrogance that no peace talks can take place in the Philippines.

Indeed, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Spokesperson, Gen. Edgard Arevalo is correct in saying, that: "we should always negotiate on our position of strength". May I add to it, also on the platform of sincerity and mutuality of intentions to attain sustainable and real peace.

With this public declaration from Joma Sison, it is both confirmed through his pronouncement and posture that he is still the CPP Chairman-In-Absentia, and that also, sincerity and real intention for attaining real peace for our people and our country is not in the program and agenda of the CPP-NPA-NDF.

By these real objective facts, how can we proceed with the peace process and peace talks when the ones we are talking to and dealing with, like Joma Sison and his tribal gang leaders who have been living comfortably in exile for almost forty years, have nothing in their mind but to plot all schemes possible to topple down our democratically established government, and advance the evils of their terrorism packaged as their "national democratic revolution"?

In the first place, we already have a model and framework of the peace process that we are currently implementing -- the Local Peace Engagement, with its component of ECLIP and Balik Loob Program. In fact, we have never abandoned the peace process. We only redirected it away from the long term trap framework of the CPP-NPA-NDF which they utilize through The Hague Declaration framework, and the JASIG instrument, plus their scheme of so-called "Interim Peace Agreement" with a stand-down proposal/back to barracks order for the AFP and PNP, but no talks on disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration.

It is through the Local Peace Engagement that we have truly pulled ourselves away from the deceptions and schemes of the CPP-NPA-NDF by exposing to the public that from the very start of our previous peace process and peace talks, the CPP-NPA-NDF has no intention of attaining peace but rather will only use the peace process and the peace talks to cover their real intent of terrorism through pretentions, deceptions, and manipulations of every opportunity that they can avail of in the duration of the peace talks.

Points cleared now. Let's continue our efforts in enhancing and sustaining the more viable, practical and rational way to attaining real and sustainable peace through a centrally-directed and nationally-coordinated Local Peace Engagement with all the components of it such as the ECLIP and Balik Loob Program. After all, the peace talks and the peace process are public interest issues and therefore the people deserve to be involved in such undertakings. The peace talks and the peace process are beyond the whims and caprice of Joma Sison and his tribal gang leaders in the CPP-NPA_NDF, and the agenda of peace can never be an exclusive franchise of Joma Sison.

(Victoria Patria is national coordinator of Sentrong Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan Para Sa Bayan [SAMBAYANAN])