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DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro admitted Wednesday that the
government has no plans yet to initiate talks with the National
Democratic Front and will follow the directive of President Gloria
Arroyo to defeat communist guerrillas and other threat groups by
2010.
However, Gilberto says communist rebels can
avail of the amnesty being offered by the government as long as they
are sincere in their intention to return to the mainstream.
“Now, we proposed an amnesty for those who are
really in good faith . . . and want to return to the fold of the
law, and there is a whole social integration program drafted,”
Gilberto told reporters.
As for the resumption of the peace talks with
the communists, Gilberto said it is up to the government and the
National Democratic Front to decide, but as of this time, there are
no such moves.
Gilberto expressed confidence that the military
is still “on track” with its 2010 target to defeat the New
People’s Army and other groups despite the Armed Forces of the
Philippines’ (AFP) failure to dismantle new guerrilla fronts
during the second quarter of this year.
Gilberto said the military is well aware of its
objective and that he is giving the organization the needed leeway.
He will just assess the situation at the end of 2008.
“It’s not healthy for us to just be on the
backs of the AFP all the time as Secretary of National Defense or
any other manager for that matter,” he added.
The military during the first quarter of the
year was able to neutralize eight communist fronts while 10 others
have been downgraded, and 13 are currently in the “advanced stage
of degradation.”
Armed Forces Chief Alexander Yano said that
there would be no changes in the military’s strategy to combat the
communist guerrillas.
Regarding the increase of attacks by communist
guerrillas in Mindanao, the Defense secretary said the attacks
doesn’t mean that the rebels are getting stronger, explaining that
is simply their way to make it appear that they are getting
stronger.
-- Jefferson Antiporda
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