House leaders yesterday strongly rallied behind the Duterte government’s suspension of peace talks with the communist rebels.
“We support the good judgment of the President being the commander-in-chief. I must emphasize, however, that the only solution to this communist insurgency is only through peace and never by violence,” Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe, president of the Party List Coalition, said.
Parañaque City Rep. Gus Tambunting, chairman of the House Committee on Games and Amusement, said, “The President as commander-in-chief is in the best person to make that decision. If he thinks it is the best for the country, then it should be supported by the people.”
Anakpawis party-list Rep. Ariel Casilao, who is part of the House of Representatives delegation to observe the fifth round of peace talks in Noordwijk aan Zee, The Netherlands, warned that the cancellation of the fifth round of peace talks would only put the interest of the masses in the losing end.
“President Duterte should stand his ground in supporting the peace talks and stop listening to his security advisers that are obviously giving him ill-advises. These officials who whisper him in the ears want the peace talks to collapse to undermine his efforts to attain just peace,” Casilao said. (Charissa L. Atienza)
