By Junex Doronio
MANILA — Saying that the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA is collectively a “spent force”, former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has rejected ceasefire with the Maoist rebels this Christmas.
On Friday (Dec 22), Lacson said in a statement that the government should not lose steam by giving the Maoists an opportunity to recoup their losses.
“The CPP/NPA is almost a spent force – thanks to the efforts of former President Rodrigo Duterte and the security forces during his term as president,” Lacson noted.
Earlier, Vice President Sara Duterte thumbed down any form of peace talks with the CPP-NPA.
She once again described the recent agreement between the Marcos Jr. administration and communist groups as an “agreement with the devil.”
For his part, Lacson — who once served as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief — said the government should instead pound hard on the communists whose agenda is to overthrow the state.
“We should not squander those gains by giving them – already designated as a terrorist group – another breathing space to regroup and reconsolidate their strength to fight and overthrow the duly constituted authority which is their ONLY agenda in the first place,” Lacson stressed.
However, he said the Maoist rebels should still be allowed to surrender “peacefully and unconditionally” if they decide to give up their armed struggle.
The CPP, founded by the late Jose Ma. Sison 55 years ago, has been waging their “protracted people’s war” copied from the revolutionary playbook of Mao Zedong in China.
(IAmigo/MNM)
