(Eagle News)—The armchair general.
This was how Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana described on Friday, Dec. 28, Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, who he said has been giving out directions to Communist rebels in the country even while in exile in The Netherlands.
According to Lorenzana, he had “more respect” for the Communist rebels on the ground “kahit nakakalaban namin sila” because they were the ones at the forefront.
“Hindi na siya lumalabas sa upuan niya. Direct lang ng direct, hindi naman effective,” Lorenzana said.
He also expressed support for localized peace talks as pushed for by President Rodrigo Duterte, noting that Sison, who left the country in the 1990s, only “makes himself relevant” by having the peace talks held in Norway, the third country facilitator.
“Tanggalin mo ‘yan mawalan siya ng relevance diyan,” he said.
Duterte ended peace talks with the Communists last year, citing what he said were the atrocities they committed that included the killing of a baby.