DEPARTMENT of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. said on Thursday he has yet to consult with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. regarding the administration’s stand on the proposed resumption of peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
“I have to consult regarding that because the only consultation I had with the President, first and foremost, is to speed up the MUP (military and uniformed personnel) of which I will receive total briefings in the coming days as to what progress has already been done,” Teodoro told a press briefing in Malacañang in Manila.
The Defense chief added that he personally does not want the peace negotiations with the NDFP to resume, which is also the position of the security cluster of the Marcos administration.
“Bukas-loob naman ang gobyerno na magbalik sa fold ng law ang lahat ng mga dating kasapi ng CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army). Nandiyan na ang OPAPRU (Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity) na handa na tulungan sila at i-rehabilitate,” Teodoro said.
The DND chief also underscored the initiatives of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in dismantling the remnants of the rebel fronts in the country.
“At sa tingin ko, ang peace talks ay, sa akin, sa version ng ating proseso, demokratiko. Pwede naman nating pag-usapan iyong mga isyu na iyan sa tamang forum – iyan ay ang Kongreso – at sumanib sila sa legitimate political process. Hindi naman bawal ang CPP eh. Republic Act 1700 was repealed long ago. Pero iyong indirect at direct support sa armadong pakikibaka, iyan ang problema,” Teodoro noted.
In February this year, the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives filed a resolution calling for the revocation of government resolutions that designated the CPP-NPA-NDFP as terrorists.
Through House Resolution No. 756, members of the group also called for the resumption of peace talks between the government and the communist rebels.
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