MANILA — The end of Maoist insurgency in the country is maybe in sight following the death of Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison, a senator said Monday.

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa said whoever will succeed Sison will face "extreme" difficulties.

"Prior to the death of Joma Sison... 'yung insurgency ng ating bansa, brought about by the CPP-NPA-NDF, was already dying and the more it will be going to its extinction kapag namatay na si Joma Sison," said Dela Rosa, who is also a former police official.

"Whoever will be designated by the Communist Party [of the Philippines] to succeed Joma Sison will face extreme difficulty in reviving a fake cause," Dela Rosa told ANC's Headstart.

Sison, who launched one of the world's longest-running Maoist insurgencies, died last week at age 83.

The former university professor died in the Netherlands, where he had lived in self-imposed exile since the collapse of peace talks in 1987.

Meanwhile, Dela Rosa sees no problem with remains of Sison being returned to the Philippines.

"Kung iuuwi siya dito, for humanitarian reasons, tao rin naman 'yan, Filipino rin naman 'yan at may mga pamilya 'yan dito naghihintay din, then pauwiin natin para mabigyan siya ng magandang libingnan ng kaniyang mga mahal sa buhay," he said.

• Jose Maria Sison, founder of Communist Party of the Philippines, dies at 83

Sison passed away after 2 weeks of confinement in a hospital in Utrecht, the party said in a statement, without specifying the cause of death.

The Philippines' defense department said his death could finally lead to an end of violence in the country, calling Sison the "greatest stumbling block" to peace.

"The death of Sison is but a symbol of the crumbling hierarchy" of the communist movement, it said, calling for remaining rebels to surrender.

"A new era without Sison dawns for the Philippines... Let us now give peace a chance."

Sison had hoped to overthrow the government and establish a Maoist regime that would end "US imperialism" in the former American colony.

The US State Department designated the communist party and its armed wing foreign terrorist organizations in 2002.

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— With a report from Agence France-Presse