Peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front still remain “alive” despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s own pronouncements abandoning a possible revival of talks within his term, a senior Cabinet official said.
In a Palace news briefing, Labor Secretary Silvestre “Bebot” Bello III, who also sits as the chief government panel negotiator in the peace talks with the communist rebels, admitted they are not sending any formal notice to terminate the peace talks yet.
Bello stressed that Duterte will not “abandon” his pledge to the Filipino people to bring “lasting peace for our country” in coming up with a successful deal with the communists.
“When the President came in as our president, he made a very clear statement that his legacy to our country and our countrymen is a lasting peace for our country. So I don’t think that the President has abandoned that legacy,” the Labor chief added.
Despite Duterte’s tirades virtually placing the final nail in the coffin for the possible resumption of the peace talks, Bello insisted these did not mean “that the talks were canceled or terminated.”
“The talks are alive and we are just waiting for the President to give us the instruction to go back to the peace table,” Bello stressed.
Duterte earlier said he no longer wanted to talk peace with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-NDFP group, saying their demands are “not really possible.”
“We are fighting the NPA. At this stage, I am not ready to talk to them because it is not good for the country,” Duterte said.
“Eh kung para lang sa bayan, okay ‘yan. But the way that it is now, ayaw ko [If only it’s for the good of the country, it’s okay, but the way it is now, I don’t want it.] And maybe it would take some time to… maybe another President to do it,” he added.
The government was slated to resume the fifth round of talks with the communists last May, but suspended the negotiations following the “serious challenges” both parties were facing.
The round of talks slated last August was likewise cancelled, amid the “lack of enabling environment” to proceed with the talks, the government peace panel said.
In his second State of the Nation Address last July, Duterte warned that the communists will soon be the government's next target when the crisis in war-torn Marawi City triggered by the ISIS-allied Maute group terrorists ends.