RETIRED Army general Raymundo Jarque is not in favor of having localized peace talks because he said it is bound to fail.

Jarque, who has defected to the New People's Army before he retired from the military service, said he believes the localized peace talks will not succeed because the National Democratic Front (NDF) has the organization and a centralized ideology and direction.

“The government will have to deal with them properly. Father Luis Jalandoni of the NDF is from here and he is soft-hearted. I have talked to him in the Netherlands and he really cannot forget that he was tortured when he was the head of the Social Action Center here as a priest,” Jarque said.

“The government may not satisfy all the demands of the NDF. We suggest that instead of localized peace talks, the government will just open its communications especially in dealing with various problems and factors that we are facing today,” Jarque pointed out.

Jarque also expressed his willingness to help the government in achieving peace with the rebels. (TDE)