Christians for National Liberation (CNL) condemned National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Jonathan Malaya for his statement that the revolutionary movement in “not sincere” in the peace talks.

Malaya’s demand for “proof of the revolutionary movement’s sincerity” is nothing more than an attempt to hide the GRP’s (Government of the Republic of the Philippines) own evil intentions,” CNL, one of the 18 allied organizations comprising the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), said.

Malaya’s statement is in line with an earlier statement by NSC chief General Eduardo Año who said in August that he does not see peace talks between the NDFP and GRP going forward. This was contradicted by the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity weeks later.

“Was it not the AFP chief Romeo Brawner Jr. himself who said that their military operations will continue despite the signing of the Oslo Joint Statement last November 2023?” CNL asked.

“The GRP should cease this duplicity and hypocrisy, and to engage in honest, principled peace talks that focus on the fundamental issues that have driven this conflict for decades,” CNL added. The revolutionary Christians stressed that only then can we begin to move towards true and lasting peace, based not on surrender, but on justice.

CNL believes that the basic foundation of a negotiation is to treat both parties fairly, contrary to Malaya’s statement. “He imposes on the revolutionary movement to lay down its arms while the GRP continues to bomb peasant communities and violate international humanitarian law,” the group said.

This is clearly just an excuse for Malaya and the GRP to avoid discussing the important issues in the negotiations: social injustice, landlessness, mass unemployment and systematic oppression of the poor.

“The Word of God reminds us of the dangers of dishonesty and falsehood… Malaya merely echoes the government’s desire to force the revolutionary movement to surrender,” CNL added. “[The GRP’s] demands for surrender are not peace negotiations. They are the demands of oppressors looking to crush legitimate resistance and struggle.”