“Año must be delusional. The target to defeat the CPP-NPA-NDF within the current administration is just outright ridiculous,” stated National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) negotiating panel interim chairperson Julie De Lima in response to a recent remark made by Eduardo Año, National Security Adviser (NSA). Last 31 Aug in a press briefing, Año stated that the armed revolution led by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) ‘will end’ within Marcos Jr’s term.

Año’s grandiose claims of ‘strategic victory’ over the CPP-NPA-NDF is belied by the fact that the AFP continues to deploy troops daily to NPA guerilla zones across the country, and that the GRP is allotting almost Php9 billion funding for the notorious NTF-Elcac.
Julie De Lima, NDFP negotiating panel interim chairperson

“Try as it may, the US-Marcos fascist regime is unequipped to defeat the world’s longest-running armed revolution. Like his predecessors, Marcos Jr. and his minions will inevitably fail in his attempts to crush the revolutionary movement of the Filipino people,” De Lima added.

De Lima also criticized the GRP’s National Security Policy (NSP) published last 10 August. Año, as security adviser leads the implementation of the NSP.

The NSP declared “the peace process will always be preferred over war” and commits to observing civil and human rights, and the international humanitarian law (IHL).” In response, De Lima reiterates the NDFP’s openness “to the possibility of resuming the peace negotiations with the GRP.”

“But from their relentless violations of IHL in the form of aerial bombings and indiscriminate attacks against communities, to their complete disregard of landmark agreements made during the GRP-NDF peace negotiations, the US-Marcos regime’s anti-peace character thus far betrays its own pronouncements,” added De Lima.

“In fact, the GRP is a serial violator of the IHL. The killing of at least 5 NDF consultants in the past year including Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, Ericson Acosta, Randall Echanis and many others; the enforced disappearances of NDF negotiators, illegal detention and arrests are all proof of the GRP’s blatant disregard for peace and international humanitarian law,” said De Lima.

De Lima further criticized the GRP’s attacks on communities: “In line with their counterrevolutionary objectives patterned after the US Counterinsurgency Guide, the GRP instead targets civilians and legal democratic organizations making no distinction between armed combatants and local populations.”

“Año’s statement also comes at a time when the Marcos-Duterte regime is rushing to shift its priority to border defense against Chinese incursions consistent with the US imperialist ‘island chain strategy’ to contain China,” De Lima ended.