Esperon backs Duterte on stopping peace talks with communists

April 28, 2020

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr., expressed support with the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte not to continue peace negotiations with the communists.

"Our president already decided not to talk with them about peace negotiation for the meantime. We in the National Security Council, the security sector together Secretary (Delfin) Lorenzana have recommended not to continue talks with them...," he said.

"The president is right, not to continue this peace talk  because we will not benefit from talking with them. What they only want is for them to become the government," he added.

In his public address of Monday night, Duterte announced his decision to stop peace talks  with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) New People's Army (NPA) National Democratic Front (NDF) following attacks by the rebels against soldiers helping distribute relief goods and cash assistance to  people affected by the enhanced community quarantine.

"There are no more peace talks to talk about and I will never be ready for any round of talks, because it's simple, the NPA, the Communist Party of the Philippines has no respect either for their spoken words or in their deeds of killing soldiers who are on humanitarian missions," he said. Robina Asido/DMS