Manila – Senator JV Ejercito, in an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, has called for the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) to demonstrate their commitment to peace negotiations with the Philippine government by disarming. Ejercito supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s decision to resume talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF but stressed the importance of complying with the Anti-Terrorism Act, which prohibits negotiations with terrorist organizations.
According to Philippines News Agency, Ejercito emphasized the need for the CPP-NPA-NDF to surrender their arms as a sign of sincerity in pursuing peace talks, expressing concerns that the peace talks might be used by the rebels to regroup and strengthen. The senator, while opposing the group’s armed struggle, respects their ideology and suggests that it could be pursued through legal means, such as the party-list system. He believes that addressing economic development and creating more job opportunities are crucial in preventing recruitment by the rebels. Ejercito advocates for infrastructure development as a key factor in the country’s economic growth and in providing employment and opportunities to Filipinos.