PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is willing to give the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) "another last chance" to resume the peace talks, Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Jesus Dureza said Wednesday, April 4.
"Let’s give this another last chance," Duterte, as quoted by Dureza, said during his meeting with Cabinet members at Malacañan Palace.
Duterte issued the remark a day after he floated the possibility of resumption of dialogue between the government peace panel and the CPP's political wing, the National Democratic Front (NDF), even though he formally ended the peace talks last year through Proclamation 360.
Duterte, in a speech delivered Tuesday, April 3, said he is open to possible resumption of talks, if the CPP's armed component, the New People's Army (NPA), stops extortion, arson attacks and killing of people.
In 2017, the President scrapped the peace negotiations after the NPA rebels launched a series of attacks against government troops and innocent civilians.
But based on Duterte's latest pronouncement, he wanted to find ways to revive the peace negotiations, Dureza said.
Dureza also said that Duterte emphasized the importance to sign a ceasefire deal with the communists to avert "mutual attacks" between the NPA and state forces, if the plan to revive talks pushes through.
"President Duterte directed during the Cabinet meeting today to work on the resumption of peace talks with the CPP/NPA/NDF with clear instructions on the importance of forging a ceasefire agreement to stop mutual attacks and fighting while talks are underway," he said.
Dureza said the impending talks might resume "when that enabling law becomes apparent."
In a statement released Tuesday, April 3, CPP founder Jose Maria Sison said the communist party is "open and ready" to once again talk with the government peace panel.
Sison said the communists also expressed optimism that the state peace negotiations and the NDF personnel would meet "as soon as possible."
"We in the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) welcome the recent statement of President Rodrigo Duterte in Bongabong, Oriental Mindoro expressing openness and readiness to resume the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations," Sison said. (SunStar Philippines)