NDFP: No more peace talks with Arroyo admin

The communist-led National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) has abandoned the idea of forging peace with the Arroyo administration, which it described as a “lameduck regime." “The NDFP Negotiating Panel has no interest in negotiating with a lameduck regime with a lifespan of less than three months, especially because this regime continues to daydream about destroying the revolutionary mass movement of the Filipino people with brute military force and cheap psywar tricks that include fake localized peace talks with its own military troops and distribution of doleouts to them," said Fidel Agcaoili, chairman of the NDFP’s human rights committee. Both the NDFP and the government had been exerting efforts to revive the peace negotiations, which remain been stalled since August 2004. On Sunday, Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales said the government is reviewing its stance in the peace talks following reports that Jose Ma. Sison is no longer in charge of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). Agcaoili denied this, saying Sison, who founded the CPP on Dec. 26, 1968, remains as the NDFP’s chief political consultant. "I hereby inform Gonzales and the rest of the reactionary government of Gloria M. Arroyo that the NDFP negotiating panel continues to enjoy the confidence of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and all other revolutionary forces which compose the NDFP. Prof. Jose Maria Sison also continues to enjoy the confidence of the NDFP Negotiating Panel as its chief political consultant," he said. Agcaoili said Gonzales’ statement was a vain attempt to deflect criticisms brought about by the arrest of 43 health workers whom the military tagged as communist supporters in Morong, Rizal last Feb. 6. "Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales is accountable for the arbitrary arrest and detention, torture and other violations of the human rights of the 43 health professionals and workers in Morong, Rizal by high officers and units of the Second Infantry Division of the Philippine Army. The gross attack on the human rights of the victims carries the trade mark and paranoid style of Gonzales," he said. - KBK/RSJ, GMANews.TV