The doors remain “wide open” for the resumption of the peace talks even as President Rodrigo Duterte challenged the communist rebels to prepare for war, an official said Saturday.
Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said they had not closed the doors to the peace and efforts to pursue the peace negotiations.
“As I said, the doors are still open for both sides to work on,” Dureza said.
“When that precise time comes, we at the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process will again seek the President’s guidance as we proceed to do our mandated task to bring a just and sustainable peace in the land.”
During an event in Davao City last Friday, Duterte made his remark as he thought the prospects for the continuation of the peace negotiations with the communists had become unlikely.
He said he had carefully read all the documents and previous agreements between the communists, led by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and the past administrations.
“If you read it, it all ends up with the power-sharing and a coalition government,” said Duterte, believing the negotiations that existed from the previous Ramos, Arroyo and Aquino administrations all indicated that the rebels wanted to share power with the government.
“I cannot give it to you. Let’s go to war. Let us all go to war. I studied it one by one [as to] what are the implications and where is the direction. It all ends up to power sharing.”
Dureza was quick to dismiss Duterte’s combative remarks.
“I was present when President Duterte said last night in an event in Davao City that if he would be removed soon from office as allegedly announced by the enemies of the state, then they would have nobody to talk with. Hence, there would be no more talks,” said Dureza, adding that the President was only making an assumption.
Last Wednesday, Malacañang announced that the doors for such peace talks were still open subject to the conditions set by the President.
“The door for the peace talks remains open provided [Duterte’s] conditions are met,” Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque said in a statement following the command conference held Wednesday night.
It has been noted that Duterte wants a stop to the collection of the so-called revolutionary taxes by the communists, to make the venue of the talks here and to have a ceasefire agreement in which the armed members of the New People’s Army were encamped in designated areas.
However, Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison claimed that the conditions was a mere setup for a nationwide martial law.
Malacañang had previously assured the public there were no plans for a declaration of a nationwide martial law as the President deemed it to be problematic.