Vol. V, Number 11 - June 15, 2023
It comes to no surprise that the recycled defense chief Gilberto Teodoro is not open to peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). True to his form, Teodoro proves his unrelenting allegiance to US imperialist powers by parroting anti-peace remarks surely to the enjoyment of his masters.
The NDFP has always been clear on its policy of openness to peace negotiations with the Manila government. The NDFP has been consistent in calling for the resumption of the talks and yet, the Marcos II administration chooses to feign ignorance. Instead, they choose to stoke the flame of people’s war by first appointing defense chief and US war hound Teodoro who is known for being one of the main implementers of Oplan Bantay Laya. Oplan Bantay Laya was one of the bloodiest counterrevolutionary campaigns launched by the US-Arroyo regime. During Teodoro’s term as DND chief from 2007 to 2009, human rights group Karapatan documented at least 24 cases of enforced disappearances, 20 missing persons case, 99 cases of torture, 456 illegal detention victims, and 164 illegal arrests. In addition, 117,133 individuals in the countryside suffered from indiscriminate firing, 148,044 forcibly evacuated and 9,154 documented victims of hamleting. Under Teodoro, the armed forces of the reactionary state used schools, clinics, churches, and other civilian infrastructure as military outposts in stark violation of international humanitarian law.
Secondly, the Marcos II administration has willingly opened the country for the establishment of new US bases while allowing the permanent presence of US soldiers on Philippine soil. US military intervention is one of the biggest stumbling blocks to peace negotiations as they provide direct support to the Marcos II regime’s counterrevolutionary attacks in line with the US policy of establishing the Philippines as a theater of war to encircle China. If anything, Marcos II’s subservience to US militarist demands is putting the Filipino people’s lives and livelihoods at great risk. Allowing the US to preposition its forces across the Philippine archipelago is a clear attempt to provoke China and will further aggravate geopolitical tensions potentially leading to another inter-imperialist war leaving the Filipino people as collateral damage.
Finally, the designation of the CPP-NPA-NDF as ‘terrorist groups’ and the listing of NDFP Senior Advisor Luis Jalandoni as a ‘terrorist’ under the draconian Anti-Terror Law must be rescinded in order for peace talks to continue. These claims are baseless to say the least considering the belligerent nature of both the GRP and the People’s Democratic Government represented by the NDFP. The 12-point program of the NDFP is clear evidence of this as the systematic expression of the Filipino people’s collective aspiration for national freedom and democracy.
But while the revolutionary movement is always ready to talk peace with the GRP, the NDFP will do its part to advance the people’s war to defend the Filipino people against more brutal fascist attacks and US military intervention which we expect to intensify with the newly appointed DND chief.