PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte might give in to the communists' call to resume the peace talks, if they end hostilities, Chief President Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said Tuesday.
Panelo told reporters that there is still a chance that the President might heed the appeal of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to continue the peace negotiation.
“In order for them to resume [peace talks] would depend on the goodwill that the Left[s] will bring to this government. They’re the ones who violated their own ceasefire. But I am also confident that eventually, they’ll go back to the negotiating table,” Panelo said.
“After all, the Left[s], they’re saying that way they’re doing is for the people, then, there’s no reason for them to back out or not to continue with the peace talks,” he added.
Duterte has entirely scrapped the government’s ongoing peace talks with the CPP’s political wing, the New Democratic Front, after the relentless attacks of its armed wing, the New People’s army, against the government forces.
Duterte’s allies, however, remained optimistic that the Chief Executive would resume the talks.
Panelo said Duterte might change his mind in cancelling the peace dialogue, if the communist rebels end lawless acts and stop assaulting innocent civilians.
“They should cease hostilities. They stop their illegal activities. That’s one. Another is they’ve been assaulting even the innocent civilians. That’s bad [and should not happen again],” he said. (SunStar Philippines)