Teodoro Refuses Dialogue W/ NPA Despite Pressure
NPA – Efforts to revive negotiations with the NPA face a major setback after a firm rejection from the government.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has firmly rejected renewed appeals to reopen peace negotiations with the New People’s Army (NPA), following a recent deadly military operation in Negros Occidental. Speaking on Saturday, Teodoro made it clear that he does not support any move toward dialogue with the insurgent group.
“No. I object to any peace talks with the NPA (New People’s Army),” Teodoro told reporters while attending a government event in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte. The event involved the distribution of aid to fisherfolk affected by the Balikatan exercises.
The call to revive negotiations came from former government peace negotiators who had previously engaged in backchannel discussions with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing the NPA, and its political arm, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDF). These negotiators, who served between 2014 and 2020 under past administrations, noted that both sides had once been close to reaching an interim agreement that could have paved the way to ending the decades-long insurgency.
Their appeal gained urgency after a military encounter in Negros Occidental resulted in the deaths of 19 individuals. However, Teodoro dismissed the suggestion, emphasizing that the Philippines is not in need of peace talks because, in his view, peace already exists.
“The Filipinos are at peace. They are the ones disturbing the peace. So why should we talk to them? They’re committing crimes,” he said.
He further stressed his position by labeling the insurgency as purely criminal in nature. “It’s terrorism. Plain and simple. So, to call for peace talks is to elevate the morality of their cause to something legitimate, which I cannot accept.”
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported that all 19 individuals killed during the operation were armed and actively engaged in combat with government forces. In contrast, the CPP disputed this claim, insisting that some of those who died were civilians and denying that they were members of the NPA.
The conflicting narratives highlight the ongoing tensions surrounding the insurgency, even as the government maintains a firm stance against resuming formal negotiations.
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