NATIONAL
Advocates Philippines
No Talks With Rebels As Teodoro Stands Firm After Deadly Negros Clash
Photo credit: DND
The call to reopen peace negotiations with communist rebels is hitting a hard wall from the country’s top defense official.
Gilberto Teodoro Jr. made it clear he is not on board with any push for peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, its armed wing New People's Army, and the political arm National Democratic Front of the Philippines—especially in the wake of a deadly encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19.
That clash left 19 alleged members of what the government calls a communist terrorist group dead, reigniting debate on whether it’s time to bring negotiations back to the table.
For Teodoro, the answer is a firm no.
In a blunt statement, he questioned the very idea of negotiating with groups he says are responsible for violence and disruption.
“The Filipinos… they’re the ones disturbing the peace,” he said. “Why should we talk to them when they are committing crimes—plain and simple—and terrorism, plain and simple?”
He went further, rejecting the argument that peace talks could somehow elevate the cause of these groups into something legitimate.
“To call for peace talks to elevate the morality of the cause to something legitimate—I cannot accept that. Hindi ko matatanggap ‘yun,” Teodoro stressed.
The defense chief’s remarks highlight the administration’s tough stance on insurgency, signaling that, at least for now, the focus remains on security operations rather than negotiations.
The recent violence in Negros Occidental only adds fuel to an already long-running conflict—one that continues to divide opinion on whether peace is better pursued through dialogue or force.
Gilberto Teodoro Jr. made it clear he is not on board with any push for peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, its armed wing New People's Army, and the political arm National Democratic Front of the Philippines—especially in the wake of a deadly encounter in Toboso, Negros Occidental on April 19.
That clash left 19 alleged members of what the government calls a communist terrorist group dead, reigniting debate on whether it’s time to bring negotiations back to the table.
For Teodoro, the answer is a firm no.
In a blunt statement, he questioned the very idea of negotiating with groups he says are responsible for violence and disruption.
“The Filipinos… they’re the ones disturbing the peace,” he said. “Why should we talk to them when they are committing crimes—plain and simple—and terrorism, plain and simple?”
He went further, rejecting the argument that peace talks could somehow elevate the cause of these groups into something legitimate.
“To call for peace talks to elevate the morality of the cause to something legitimate—I cannot accept that. Hindi ko matatanggap ‘yun,” Teodoro stressed.
The defense chief’s remarks highlight the administration’s tough stance on insurgency, signaling that, at least for now, the focus remains on security operations rather than negotiations.
The recent violence in Negros Occidental only adds fuel to an already long-running conflict—one that continues to divide opinion on whether peace is better pursued through dialogue or force.
May 2, 2026
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