Jose Maria Sison. Images by. www.conceptnewscentral.com The NPA is already a spent force,

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday brushed aside a threat by Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison to oust President Duterte, saying the threat has been long aired but nothing came.

Col. Edgard Arevalo, AFP spokesman, expressed doubts whether Sison, who has been in self-exile in The Netherlands for decades now, could muster any support for his latest threat.

“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,” said Arevalo.

Sison’s threat came immediately after Mr. Duterte postponed the resumption of formal peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) scheduled for June 28.

The President said he wants more public consultations regarding the peace negotiations with the communist group.

“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.

On Thursday, Sison issued a statement warning President Duterte could be ousted anytime by his so-called “progressive forces.”

For its part, the AFP recommended three-month suspension of the talks to review the “stand down” agreement reached by the government and NDFP peace panels through backchannel talks.

Arevalo maintained that the 135,000-strong military remains committed to the peace initiatives of the national government.

“The AFP actively pursues and supports all efforts to attain a just and lasting peace,” said Arevalo.