By Francis T. Wakefield
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has said that Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison will go to jail if ever he decides to return to the country.
Lorenzana made the remark following the latest tirade issued by Sison against him and other officials, including President Duterte, for allegedly destabilizing their own government and ruining efforts to revive the peace talks.
Lorenzana said there is no need to reply point by point to the latest statement by the communist leader because there is nothing new to his statement. “They are all rehash of old cliches that have outlived their usefulness. He has been mouthing those lines in different iterations since the 70s,” Lorenzana said.
“My words to him? Come back home Mr. Sison and find out for yourself what your country and countrymen have become. Your country has progressed a lot despite your destabilization efforts for the past 49 years. The people have wizened up to the bankruptcy of your so-called revolution,” he said.
Lorenzana said Sison’s army is surrendering in record numbers and are taking advantage of the beneficence of the government that he detests and wants to bring down.
He expressed belief that Sison doesn’t want to return to the country as he will be made to account for his sins, like the Plaza Miranda bombing and the mass liquidation of New People’s Army cadres on suspicion of being deep penetration agents.
“Whatever you do Mr. Sison you are doomed to irrelevance. You remain in the Netherlands and you will be forgotten because the President has decided with finality that the talks would be held in our country. You come back and you will end up in jail,” Lorenzana said.
“Sad that a once brilliant revolutionary would end up this way. President Duterte was right when he said, if Sison is really brilliant he would be the President, not me,” he said.
