PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Friday, April 13, assured communist leaders that they would enjoy provisional liberty upon their return to the Philippines when peace negotiations resume.
Duterte told leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) that there would be no arrest order against them, as long as armed component New People's Army (NPA) resist from doing lawless acts.
"I have invited everybody outside of the Philippines who are communist members to come home, the leaders, and we can talk," he said in an interview in Davao City when he returned at about 1:30 a.m. Friday, April 13, from his China-Hong Kong trip.
"I will give them my personal and official guarantee that during the two months they go here, they will not be arrested, they will not be molested, and they will not be inconvenienced," the President added.
On April 3, Duterte raised the possibility of resuming the peace dialogue with the CPP's political wing, the National Democratic Front (NDF), as soon as the NPA rebels stop extortion, arson attacks, and killing people.
The President, a day after his remark, directed the government peace panel to work on the resumption of peace talks with the NDF personnel by ensuring that the two parties would have a mutual decision to forge a ceasefire deal during the negotiations.
Following Duterte's pronouncement, the government and the NDF began discussions on the possible implementation of a coordinated unilateral ceasefire.
Duterte said he would permit the revival of talks only if the communists comply with the conditions he set.
"This is really the ceasefire, no taxation, no atrocities, no nothing. Just come here as a plain citizen, you are protected by our policy of [rapprochement] with an open heart," he said.
The Commander-in-Chief signed last year Proclamation 360, formally ending the peace talks with the communists, citing the continued attacks by the NPA on government troops.
But early this month, Duterte announced that he was willing to give the communist party "another last chance" to resume the peace talks. (SunStar Philippines)
