The Communist Party of the Philippines on Saturday announced that Jose Maria Sison, one of its top leaders, passed away at 83.&nbsp;

The party in a statement without confirming the reason behind the demise of the leader said,&nbsp;"Sison... passed away at around 8:40 p.m. (Philippine time) after two weeks' confinement in a hospital in Utrecht."&nbsp;

The man who launched one of the world's longest-running insurgencies died in the Netherlands.&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/yearender-2022-israel-italy-malaysia-philippines-brazil-a-year-of-elections-that-stunned-pollsters-542485">Also&nbsp;read |&nbsp;Yearender 2022: Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Philippines, Brazil: A year of elections that stunned pollsters</a>

Philippine's defence ministry called Sison the "greatest stumbling block" to peace, adding that his death will end violence.&nbsp;

Sison had been living in the Netherlands after a self-imposed exile following the collapse of peace talks in 1987 when the rebellion claimed lives of thousands.&nbsp;

The Communist party called for rebels to surrender. It said, "The death of Sison is but a symbol of the crumbling hierarchy."

Watch |&nbsp;Philippines protest: Hundreds protest against extra judicial killings

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"A new era without Sison dawns for the Philippines... Let us now give peace a chance."

It was believed that Sison wanted to overthrow US&nbsp;imperialism in the country and establish a Maoist regime.&nbsp;

In 2002, the communist party was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US state department.&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies)

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The Communist Party of the Philippines on Saturday announced that Jose Maria Sison, one of its top leaders, passed away at 83. The party in a statement without confirming the reason behind the demise of the leader said, "Sison.

The Communist Party of the Philippines on Saturday announced that Jose Maria Sison, one of its top leaders, passed away at 83. The party in a statement without confirming the reason behind the demise of the leader said, "Sison... passed away at around 8:40 p.m. (Philippine time) after two weeks' confinement in a hospital in Utrecht." The man who launched one of the world's longest-running insurgencies died in the Netherlands. Also read | Yearender 2022: Israel, Italy, Malaysia, Philippines, Brazil: A year of elections that stunned pollsters Philippine's defence ministry called Sison the "greatest stumbling block" to peace, adding that his death will end violence. Sison had been living in the Netherlands after a self-imposed exile following the collapse of peace talks in 1987 when the rebellion claimed lives of thousands. The Communist party called for rebels to surrender. It said, "The death of Sison is but a symbol of the crumbling hierarchy." Watch | Philippines protest: Hundreds protest against extra judicial killings "A new era without Sison dawns for the Philippines... Let us now give peace a chance." It was believed that Sison wanted to overthrow US imperialism in the country and establish a Maoist regime. In 2002, the communist party was designated as a terrorist organisation by the US state department. (with inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE

Philippines communist leader Jose Maria Sison dies at 83 in Netherlands

Philippine President Rodrigo&nbsp;Duterte&nbsp;announced on Monday a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels who are waging one of Asia&#39;s longest insurgencies and urged them to reciprocate. 
 
Duterte&nbsp;made the announcement in his first &quot;State of the Nation Address&quot; to the Congress as he laid the groundwork for peace talks with the communists that are due to begin in Norway next month. 
 
&quot;To stop violence on the ground and restore peace, I am now announcing a unilateral ceasefire,&quot; Duterte told lawmakers, as he called on the rebels to do the same. 
 
The rebellion has killed about 30,000 since the 1960s. 
 
According to the military, the communists&#39; armed wing, the New People&#39;s Army, is believed to have some 4,000 gunmen today, down from a peak of 26,000 in the 1980s. 
 
It retains support among the deeply poor in rural areas, and its troops regularly kill security forces and extort money from local businesses. 
 
Duterte&#39;s predecessor, Benigno Aquino, revived negotiations soon after taking office in 2010, but shelved them in 2013, accusing the rebels of being insincere about finding a political settlement. 
 
The talks collapsed after his government rejected the rebels&#39; demand to release scores of their jailed comrades whom they described as &quot;political prisoners&quot;. 
 
Duterte, who took office on June 30 and publicly acknowledges exiled communist rebel leader, Jose Maria Sison, as a friend, had offered to release some political prisoners. 
 
His aides have already held preliminary talks with Sison and other senior communist leaders during which they agreed to resume the peace negotiations next month. 
 
(AFP)

Peace talks with the rebels, who are waging Asia's longest insurgency, are due to begin in Norway the next month

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Monday a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels who are waging one of Asia's longest insurgencies and urged them to reciprocate. Duterte made the announcement in his first "State of the Nation Address" to the Congress as he laid the groundwork for peace talks with the communists that are due to begin in Norway next month. "To stop violence on the ground and restore peace, I am now announcing a unilateral ceasefire," Duterte told lawmakers, as he called on the rebels to do the same. The rebellion has killed about 30,000 since the 1960s. According to the military, the communists' armed wing, the New People's Army, is believed to have some 4,000 gunmen today, down from a peak of 26,000 in the 1980s. It retains support among the deeply poor in rural areas, and its troops regularly kill security forces and extort money from local businesses. Duterte's predecessor, Benigno Aquino, revived negotiations soon after taking office in 2010, but shelved them in 2013, accusing the rebels of being insincere about finding a political settlement. The talks collapsed after his government rejected the rebels' demand to release scores of their jailed comrades whom they described as "political prisoners". Duterte, who took office on June 30 and publicly acknowledges exiled communist rebel leader, Jose Maria Sison, as a friend, had offered to release some political prisoners. His aides have already held preliminary talks with Sison and other senior communist leaders during which they agreed to resume the peace negotiations next month. (AFP)

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announces ceasefire with communist guerrilla, urges rebels to do same

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Philippines communist leader Jose Maria Sison dies at 83 in Netherlands

Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte announces ceasefire with communist guerrilla, urges rebels to do same