The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) doubts the capability of the communist group to oust President Rodrigo Duterte.

“There have been peace talks after another that have failed in the past. And every each time, they were trying to oust the President?but never came close enough to at least unsettle a Commander-in-Chief,” Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman, said in a statement Friday.

“We do not know where Mr. Sison derives his temerity to make such a threat when members of the terrorist NPA continue to surrender in droves in the face of the AFP’s tactical, intelligence, and civil-military operations that enjoy the support of the Filipino people,” he added.

Col. Noel Detoyato, AFP Public Affairs chief, said based on their record the NPA has more or less 4,000 members.

Arevalo issued his statement after Communist Party of the Philippine (CPP) founder and National Democratic Front (NDF) Chief Political Consultant claimed that the communists can oust Duterte.\

“Duterte continues to kill the peace negotiations. While he does this, the NDFP can always stand for peace negotiations not necessarily with the Duterte regime of unbridled terror and greed. The broad united front of patriotic and progressive forces and the people´s war are advancing and can oust the Duterte regime in due time,” Sison said in a statement issued on Thursday.

It can be recalled that Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza announced the suspension of the scheduled resumption of peace negotiation on June 28.

Dureza previously explained that Duterte ordered the suspension as he wants to get the support of the people by holding more public consultations.

Despite the suspension of peace negotiations, Arevalo assures that the military will always support efforts to attain just and lasting peace.

“The AFP actively pursues and supports all efforts to attain a just and lasting peace,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS