Interview with Prof. Jose Maria Sison on New Year’s Day 2015

/by
January 01, 2015
Prof. Jose Maria Sison
Chief Political Consultant
NDFP National Democratic Front of the Philippines
By Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
Niko Dizon (ND): Happy New Year sir! I read your Q&A with the NDCP executive course students
Prof Jose Maria Sison (JMS): Happy 2015 and best wishes!
ND: I was struck by your answers because one, some of the policies you mentioned if you would become president are the same policies being followed now by government.
JMS: The general titles of the policies that I have mentioned and proposed are indeed similar to those used by the GPH and are used as subjects for the agenda of the peace negotiations. But the GPH and NDFP differ in substantiating the titles or subjects. For instance, the NDFP points out under the rubric of national sovereignty and independence the need to do away with unequal treaties, agreements and arrangements with foreign powers. Under the rubric of economic development, the NDFP stresses Filipino-owned industrialization and genuine land reform. The differences in the substantiation of policies is subject to negotiations and consensus for the benefit of the Filipino people.
ND: And also, you mentioned the need to strengthen the nation’s military to defend itself.
JMS: The assumption for this statement is hypothetical and is used by the interviewer to draw what I think is best for the country and people under conditions that I become president. The essential premise is that there is already a just and lasting peace agreement which requires the GPH and NDFP to cooperate in defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity. Nevertheless, the NDFP has always upheld, defended and promoted the national sovereignty of the people and the territorial integrity of the Philippines.
ND: You also have a scathing description of President Aquino and Sec. Deles. But they are the two main decision makers in any peace nego for the government. How then is a resumption of the talks with the two of them playing key roles, possible?
JMS: So long as there is yet no peace agreement, not even a resumption of formal talks between the GPH and NDFP negotiating panels, you can expect that certain circumstances can arise now and then which motivate one side to make scathing remarks against the other side or both side to exchange scathing remarks. Aquino and Deles also make scathing remarks against the NDFP, CPP or NPA now and then. At any rate, any word war is much lighter than the civil war or armed conflict that has necessitated the peace negotiations.
It is not always the case that I make scathing remarks. Right now, Deles is making scathing remarks in the press against the NPA for launching certain tactical offensives within the time scale of the unilateral SOMO of the AFP. But the CPP, NPA and NDFP are bound only by its own unilateral ceasefire declaration which has ceasefire dates different from those of the AFP unilateral ceasefire. When the ceasefire dates of the NPA and AFP coincide, the NPA has not made any tactical offensive and has even gone to the extent of releasing its prisoners of war in contrast to the GPH hoarding 14 NDFP consultants and 500 other political prisoners on multiplied charges of rebellion and common crimes.
The mix up and multiplication of charges of rebellion and common crimes are in violation of the Hernandez political offense doctrine and the basic right against being put in jeopardy of being punished twice or so many times for one and the same alleged crime of seeking the overthrow of the GPH or the Manila government. I say the Manila government to emphasize the fact that the revolutionary movement is building in the countryside a new government in the form of the local organs of political power.###