A GOVERNMENT peace panel member is confident that the peace negotiation of the government with the communist rebels will resume any time soon despite President Rodrigo Duterte's announcement last month that he is no longer interested in the peace talks.
End of Hostilities and Disposition of Forces (GRP-EHDF) member Luzviminda Ilagan, during Kapehan sa Dabaw media forum at The Annex of SM City Davao Monday, said the office is open to the possibility of peace talk resumption because of the importance of peace in Duterte's agenda.
"As a person close to Duterte for many years, I know he is not the kind of a leader who closes his mind and decisions without further involvements. He may have said that he do not want to continue it, but I know that peace is still what he wants to achieve before his term ends," she said.
Ilagan praised Duterte for being the only president who was able to bring the peace talk up to the fifth level of discussion as compared to the previous administration that only brought it to the second level.
She added that Duterte's discussion on socio-economic reforms with the communist groups was already an achievement as a president.
As a member of Opapp-EHDF, Ilagan said Filipinos have to be optimistic on the continuation of peace talk as this, she said, will bring the change the country has been longing for.
President Duterte's pronouncement to end peace negotiation with the communist rebels last month was after the consecutive attacks of the New People's Army's (NPA) against security forces and many innocent victims in different places in the country.