Palace insists talks with Reds in PHL

MALACAÑANG ON Monday maintained that peace negotiations with communist rebels be held in the Philippines without a third- party facilitator.

“Paulit ulit po niyang sinasabi iyan ([President Rodrigo R. Duterte] has repeatedly said) that the peace talks must be held here in the Philippines. That is why his last declaration was that, it should be held here in July instead of this month,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque, Jr. said in a press briefing at the Palace.

Mr. Roque also said there is no need for a third party facilitator in the talks. “Wala na po siguro, kasi nandito naman tayo sa Pilipinas (Perhaps there is no need, because we’re here in the Philippines),” he said.

For his part, exiled communist leader Jose Maria C. Sison said the Duterte administration “is not interested in serious peace negotiations with the NDF ( National Democratic Front),” the communist coalition of which Mr. Sison is chief political consultant.

Mr. Roque said Mr. Duterte “has not given up on the peace process with the communists, but it should be inclusive and should pass legal scrutiny.”

“The President is dead serious about it. He has already asked the Department of Justice to file the necessary motions in Court to set free individuals who will be participating in the talks and I think that is the best evidence of good faith on the part of the government. Of course, there’s information that these individuals cannot be located anymore even if they did not leave the country for Oslo, Norway. But nonetheless the President says he will give the process a chance which I declared as of the last press briefing that we had,” Mr. Roque said.

He added there is already “a panel” in the Philippines and it has the “authority to fix the logistics,” but “any party who wants to help and who’s been involved in the process can help.”

The venue for peace negotiations “should not matter,” Mr. Roque also said.