Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said he is yet to consult President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on the proposal to resume peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
In a Palace briefing on Thursday, Teodoro said he personally does not favor bringing back the peace talks as he referred to it as a “subversion” of democratic processes.
“May personal position is ‘no’. Matagal ko nang posisyon iyan, noong araw pa. And I think that is the position of the security cluster as of this time,” he said.
“Dahil unang-una, bukas-loob naman ang gobyerno na magbalik sa fold ng law ang lahat ng mga dating kasapi ng CPP-NPA-NDF. Nandiyan na ang OPAPRU na handa na tulungan sila at i-rehabilitate,” he added.
Teodoro said the government has other mechanisms to maintain peace, including those imposed by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict.
“Puwede naman nating pag-usapan iyong mga isyu na iyan sa tamang forum – iyan ay ang Kongreso – at sumanib sila sa legitimate political process, hindi naman bawal ang CPP eh,” he said. AG/with reports from Mela Lesmoras
