By Priam Nepomuceno/PNA
MANILA — Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday said he is not pleased with the reason for National Democratic Front Philippines (NDFP) chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili’s decision to cancel his visit to the Philippines.
Earlier, the NDF peace negotiator said he will no longer pursue his visit as his appointment to President Rodrigo Duterte was cancelled and instead, he would be meeting Peace Process Adviser Jesus Dureza and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo.
“Bakit si Presidente ang gusto nilang makausap? (Why do they want to talk to the President?) Leader ba sila ng organization nila? (Are they leaders of their organization? Can they decide or commit anything to the President? Because the President can make decisions and commit anything because he is the President,” Lorenzana said in a message to reporters Monday.
“They just represent Mr. (Communist Party of the Philippine founder Jose Maria ‘Joma’) Sison so dapat the President’s representative will be the one to talk to them. The President is very clear — he would only talk to Sison if there is a compelling reason to do so,” he further stressed.
Earlier, Agcaoili said he and Coni Ledesma have a scheduled trip to the Philippines this month in connection with their work as members of the NDFP component in the Joint Monitoring Committee under the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).
