Peace talks a 'make-or-break' situation, says Duterte

the Netherlands since 1987, brushed aside Duterte's threat, diismissing it as a mere "term of endearment, as in some American comedies."

The CPP founder said he would rather be optimistic and said he appreciated the "hard and productive work" of both parties to resume the formal peace negotiations and make substantial progress.

"I will not reply to (Duterte) in any hostile manner, unless he actually wrecks the work already done by the negotiating panels to prepare the resumptoon of formal peace talks," Sison said in a statement released Friday, May 25.

"It seems to me that in using strong words, he is eager to resume the peace negotiations rather than to block them," he added.

Duterte said he has given the communists a window of two months to finalize a peace agreement.

"I have invited Sison to come home. He has agreed. I gave him a window of two months, very small. It will be a make-orbreak situation for us," Duterte said.

"If we are able to understand each other, good. But if not, I will see to it and will personally maybe escort him to the airport. If nothing happens for two months, I will allow him to go out. I will not arrest him because that's my word of honor," he added.

Informal back-channel talks between the government peace negotiators and communist leaders started early May to pave the way for the formal dialogue.

The talks will resume six months after the President scrapped that negotiations through Proclamation 360, issued on November 23, 2017. (SunStar Philippines)