Casiño urges peace talks with Reds, not war

Senatorial aspirant Teddy Casiño urged the government to engage the communists to return to the negotiation table instead of declaring war against them.

During the "Tanong ng Bayan: The GMA Senatorial Face-Off 2025” on February 1, the former Bayan MUna party-list representative said that the Communist Party of the Philippines-New Peoples Army and the government share a similar goal of improving the country.

“Maaaring hindi tayo sang ayon sa paraan ng kanilang pakikipaglaban. Pero kung issue at issue ang pag-uusapan, kung ugat, kung bakit sila lumalaban ang pag-uusapan, tingin ko we have more in common than we have differences. Kaya para ho sa akin, dapat hindi sila tratuhing terorista, dapat hindi sila tratuhin kaaway,” he said.

(We may not agree with how they pursue their goals, but if we would just look at their issues, the root cause of why they are fighting, I think we have more in common than differences. That is why for me, they should not be treated as terrorists, they should not be treated as enemies.)

Casiño pushed for further engagement and peace talks for a more diplomatic solution to the conflict.

“Paano magtutulungan para harapin ‘yung usapin ng kahirapan, ‘yung underdevelopment, ‘yung kawalan ng hustisya, ‘yung sistematikong human rights violations, ‘yung pagpapaunlad ng ating ekonomiya, pagbibigay ng lupa sa ating mga magsasaka… ‘Yan din naman ang pinaglalaban nila,” he said.

(How will we cooperate to face the issue of poverty, underdevelopment, lack of justice, systemic human rights violations, the development of the economy, and providing land to our farmers… That is also what they are fighting for.)

“Bakit hindi tayo mag-usap? Bakit hindi natin pagtulungan ng mga problema nito? Tingin ko mas mabuti yan kaysa sa away ng away, giyera ng giyera,” he added.

(Why don’t we talk? Why won’t we cooperate on these problems? I think that would be better instead of fighting.)

In a Senate hearing in 2020, Casiño asked the government if the members of the NPA should be treated as enemies of the government.

He was also named by an ex-NPA member as a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which he had denied in a statement.

Casiño also denied involvement with the NPA during the debate on Saturday.

“Ako ay isang aktibista mula pa ho nung kabataan ko. Kaya hindi ko ho tinatanggi na ako ay kaliwa pero hindi ibig sabihin yan na ako ay NPA. Hindi ibig sabihin yan na ako ay rebelde. Hindi ibig sabihin niyan na nakikibaka ako para ibagsak ang gobyerno. Magkaiba ho yun,” he said.

(I have been an activist since I was young, which is why I will not deny that I side with the left… but that does not mean that I am part of the NPA. That does not mean I am a rebel. That does not mean that I am fighting to destabilize the government. That is different.)

He added that he thought he would be an important asset as an opposing view in the Senate.

“Tingin ko importante sa ating lipunan, lalo na sa Senado, na merong boses na kaliwa… na merong boses para sa pagbabago, na merong boses para sa masang Pilipino. ‘Yan po ang ginampanan ko sa Kongreso, ‘yan din ang gagawin ko sa Senado,” he continued.

(I think it’s important for our society, especially in the Senate, that there is a voice of the left… that there is a voice for change, that there is a voice for the Filipino masses. That is my role in the Congress, and that is also what I will do in the Senate.)—LDF, GMA Integrated News