Danao frowns on possible peace talks with Reds after supposed attack vs. PRO8 cops

Philippine National Police (PNP) Officer-in-Charge Police Lieutenant General Vicente Danao Jr. on Monday expressed disapproval of peace talks between the government and the communist rebel group.

In his speech after a flag-raising ceremony at Camp Crame, he hit the “leftist group” after it allegedly ambushed cops of Police Regional Office 8 who were distributing aid to poor communities on Saturday.

“They are there to give assistance to the poorest of the poor. Pero (But) unfortunately you ambushed them. O tapos (and then) now you are talking peace talks. Anong klaseng peace talks 'yan (What kind of peace talks is that)?” Danao said.

A police patrolman died in the incident, according to Danao. The PRO8 identified the fatality as Police Patrolman Mark Monge.

According to PRO8, the police were conducting humanitarian activity in the towns of San Jose de Buan and Gandara in Samar province when around 10 communist rebels allegedly fired at them.

The PRO8 said the police defended themselves and exchanged fire with the rebels for around five minutes. The rebels withdrew and fled northeast, it added.

Monge was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital. The number of casualties on the side of the communist rebels is still undetermined.

'Ako mismo'

Danao threatened to ambush communist rebels himself if the situation could be reversed.

“Alam niyo kung puwede lang baligtarin ang gobyerno, ako mismo ang a-ambush sa inyo, sa totoo lang. Nakakasama ng loob,” he said.

(If the government can be reversed, I myself would ambush you, to be honest. It hurts.)

Danao also lamented that the communist rebel group supposedly disregards human rights whenever they attack the police force.

“Kapag kayo ang gagawa ng kalokohan, walang human rights. Pero kapag ang pulis ang pinatay niyo, wala ring human rights. Anak ng...ang sarap niyo pagmumurahin,” he said.

(When you are the ones committing an offense, there is no human rights. And when you are killing cops, there is also no human rights. Son of a…I really want to curse you.)

Amnesty, peace talks

On Friday, the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) announced it has recommended to President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to offer amnesty to communist rebels.

National Security Adviser Clarita Carlos said the declaration of amnesty as well as the possible revival of peace talks would depend on Marcos' decision.

Last month, Carlos however rejected the possibility of having peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines in the Marcos administration.

"We're done with peace talks. We have agreement on certain things, let us proceed with that," Carlos said in an interview on ANC.

However, Carlos said communist rebels would not be excluded and the government would still invite them to participate in the change. 

Localized talks

For his part, Senator Robinhood Padilla said that instead of resuming national peace negotiations, a localized peace talks strategy with communist rebels should continue under the Marcos administration.

During an interview with reporters on Monday, Padilla pointed out that a national peace talk would not be necessary as issues in communist insurgencies were happening “locally.”

“Ang NTF-ELCAC (National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict) naging mukha tayo niyan noong tayo nasa Philippine Army. Naging mukha tayo niyan nang tayo pumupunta sa malalayong lugar, nakikipag-usap tayo at nag-welcome sa mga nag-surrender. Ito pabor ako rito. Isa ito sa mga programa ng govt na napakaganda,” Padilla told the reporters on Monday.

(I was with NTF-ELCAC when I was part of the Philippine Army. We became the forefront when we went to distant places, we talked and welcomed those who surrendered. This is in my favor. This is one of the gov’t programs that is very good.)

“Pero sa usapang pupunta pa ang government of the Philippines sa ibang bansa at doon tayo mag-peace talks, nagawa na po namin yan at walang nangyari. Para sa akin hindi na dapat ito. Pwede siguro ang localized peace talks kasi nagawa na natin at successful,” he added.

(But in the discussion that the government of the Philippines will go to another country, and we will have peace talks there, we have already done that and nothing has happened. For me it shouldn’t be. Maybe localized peace talks are possible because we have done it and were successful.) —KG/RSJ, GMA News