Progressive agricultural and fisherfolk organizations have hit back at Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. following his firm refusal to resume peace negotiations with communist rebels, claiming the move prioritizes military force over solving the nation’s systemic poverty.
The fisherfolk federation PAMALAKAYA characterized Teodoro’s stance as “warmongering,” arguing that the heavy presence of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in rural areas creates more instability than the insurgency itself.
“If there’s anyone disturbing the peaceful lives of the communities in the countryside, it’s the Armed Forces of the Philippines under Teodoro’s command,” said PAMALAKAYA chair Fernando Hicap.
“Every time there’s a military operation, farmers and rural sectors are being prevented from going to their farmlands, a curfew is imposed, and residents are evacuated.”
In a separate statement, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) echoed these sentiments, asserting that a “just and lasting peace” is impossible while rural communities remain under what they described as a “de facto Martial Law.”
The group urged the government to shift its focus—and its budget—from counterinsurgency operations toward land reform and social services.
“The armed struggle persists because of unresolved landlessness, deepening poverty, joblessness, foreign domination, and elite rule,” the KMP stated.
The backlash follows Teodoro’s Saturday remarks in Laoag City, where he dismissed calls from former peace negotiators to return to the table, labeling the New People’s Army (NPA) as criminals and terrorists.
“No, I object to any peace talks with the NPA,” Teodoro told reporters. “The Filipinos are at peace. They are the ones disturbing the peace. So why should we talk to them? They’re committing crimes.”
While the Defense Secretary maintains that negotiations would only grant legitimacy to “terrorism,” grassroots leaders insist that the conflict will never end without addressing the “roots of the armed struggle,” specifically agrarian reform and rural development.