President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday said he was no longer inclined to pursue peace talks with communist rebels even if Jose Maria “Joma” Sison declared that the New People’s Army (NPA) would observe a unilateral holiday ceasefire.
“These communists, I’m no longer ready to talk to you. I’ve done it before. We will only look stupid,” Duterte said in his speech during the awarding ceremony for child-friendly municipalities and cities in Malacanang.
The president then slammed Sison, saying he would slap him if he returns to the country.
“You insult me, I insult you. You should not come home, I promise you, I’ll slap you. If you insist on returning, at the airport, I’ll slap you. I will let you eat your false teeth,” Duterte said.
“You’re arrogant, you talk as if you know everything,” he added.
On Sunday, Sison said the communists were set to observe a holiday truce to allow guerillas and their families to “freely enjoy” the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on December 26.
It has become a tradition for the military and communist guerillas to observe a truce during the holidays through separate ceasefire declarations.
But the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it was not inclined to recommend a truce.
Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman said, the military did not want the rebels to use the holiday truce as an opportunity to celebrate their 50th anniversary.
“We do not want to give them the opportunity to gather and mass up, to joyfully celebrate their 50th anniversary,”Arevalo said.
Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also rejected the idea of the ceasefire, saying there was no need to declare a suspension of military operations (SOMO) in line with the CPP’s 50th anniversary.
Rodrigo Duterte: ruling out talks
