Duterte dares Joma Sison to present “final draft” of peace deal

November 22, 2018

President Rodrigo Duterte challenged on Thursday Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, to present to him a "final draft" of a peace agreement.

This as Duterte also assured the National Democratic Front ( NDF) negotiators who initially planned to go to the Philippines would not be arrested if they push through with the trip in Manila.

"(Fidel) Agcaoili said they would not come here because they will be arrested. I won't arrest you," he said in a speech during the 35th founding anniversary of Army Reserve Command in Cavite.

Agcaoili is the NDF chief peace negotiator. He, along with consultant Luis Jalandoni and his wife Coni Ledesma, was supposed to arrive in Manila earlier to talk to the government for possible resumption of the peace talks. But they did not push through with the trip following the threat of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Ano they would be arrested when they arrive from the Netherlands.

Duterte said he would allow Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, government's chief peace negotiator with the NDF, to talk with the communist leaders.

In an earlier speech during the inauguration of the Cavite Gateway Terminal, Duterte said he would talk to Sison if he could present a final draft of the peace agreement.

"Give me the final draft and if I like it, I’ll pass it on to the military and the police," he said.

He said he did not want the police and the military to launch a coup d'etat against his administration if he would agree to a peace deal, which they would be opposing.

Duterte said he would also allow the leadership of the Senate and the House to look into the proposal.

"This is a democracy. We share powers here for the benefit of, for the good of the country. Remember that," he said.

He reiterated he would not declare martial law in the whole country.

"Why will I declare martial law? I can arrest you. I can even kill you. If you really do not want to stop," he added.

Duterte terminated the peace talks with the Maoist group last year due to the atrocities and extortion activities that the communist rebels continue to commit. Celerina Monte/DMS