Lorenzana accuses Communists of being "real peace spoiler"
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said "the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People's Army - National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) is the real peace spoiler" not him.
"I am not the "peace spoiler" that they accuse me of. Rather, I am a defender of the Filipino people. It is my duty to defend the people from the CPP/NPA who want to implement communist system. That is why I am against any "peace process" that clearly is stacked against the government and favorable only to the CPP-NPA-NDF," said Lorenzana in a statement on Saturday.
"Consider the terms of the CASER (Comprehensive Agreement for Social and Economic Reforms) that are completely unacceptable even to a casual observer. Whatever the government panel does, it loses. If it accepts CASER, the NDF will claim authorship and ownership. If the government rejects it or part of it, it will be branded as anti-peace," he said.
"It is very clear. The CPP-NPA-NDF is the real peace spoiler. For how can we attain peace when the NPA continuously attacks civilians who are only trying hard to earn a living, when contractors in far flung areas implementing government projects are subject to extortion or destruction of their properties, or military/police trying to help in the countryside being ambushed and treacherously attacked?" he added.
Lorenzana issued his statement after he was accused of being a peace spoiler by NDF chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili.
"The CPP-NPA-NDF is once again playing its old game of accusing the government of the very crimes that its members themselves are committing. Its spokesman, Mr. Fidel Agcaoili, has called me "peace spoiler. He has likewise justified their continued extortion thru intimidation as revolutionary taxation. The leaders and members of the CPP/NPA are the real and original peace spoilers," he said.
"Agcaoili and the rest of the CPP-NPA-NDF's noisemakers are laying the blame on the government for the failure of the peace talks because the extent of their extortion and its adverse effects on businesses, our people's lives, and development especially in the countryside have now become very obvious to everyone," he added.
Lorenzana said the communist group are just making propaganda as President Rodrigo Duterte has terminated peace talks.
"If the CPP/NPA cannot win their so-called war of liberation at the height of their self-proclaimed successes in the 80's, how much more now that they are marginalized, with many of their fighters surrendering, and their influenced barangays are dwindling?" he said.
"They have now stepped up their rhetoric because their ploy to continue talking while fighting (euphemism for continued extortion) was finally terminated by the President," he added. Robina Asido/DMS
