PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday morning demanded the communist group that there should “not a single shot fired” during peace talks and that there should be a ceasefire to show its sincerity and cooperation with the government in achieving peace.
Upon his arrival at the Davao International Airport (DIA) from his official state visit in China and Hong Kong, Duterte expressed his agreement to reconcile and return to the negotiating table with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) but strictly emphasized that there should be absence of attacks.
“There has to be a ceasefire. Not a single shot fired,” Duterte said.
It can be recalled that the President has terminated the unilateral ceasefire in February 2017 due to the attacks committed by the rebels against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) which resulted to the death of soldiers.
He also reiterated that collection of the revolutionary taxes, burning of government equipment and civilian properties should be stopped.
“No taxation, no atrocities, nothing! Just come here as a plain citizen. You [are] protected by our policy of rapprochement with open heart,” Duterte added.
His conditions were opposed by the left saying that, “no side shall impose on the other side preconditions that negate the character and purpose of peace negotiations."
Duterte, likewise, invited the CPP-NPA-NDF leaders to come to the Philippines and assured them that they will not be arrested.
Duterte said he is not demanding conditions but rather a timeline of two months to study the possible return to the negotiating table for the communist group.
“During the two months period, I will give my demands and they can have theirs and that’s where we start negotiating,” he said.
Duterte officially tagged the communist rebels as "terrorists” in December of last year, following the ambuscade they staged that resulted to the death of a four-month-old baby who succumbed to a gunshot wound in her head.