Rody open to new talks with Reds
President Duterte may reconsider his decision to terminate the peace talks with communist rebels if negotiators come up with a ceasefire deal.
Duterte said he was ticked off by the recent statements of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison but had to tone down his rhetoric because of an appeal by government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III.
“Bebot Bello asked me to just tone down... As far as I’m concerned, no talks, no ceasefire,” Duterte said during the 10th Filipina Entrepreneurship Summit in Pasay City yesterday.
“Work it out. If you can have it, fine, show it to me, maybe I can reconsider,” he added.
Last November, Duterte scrapped the peace negotiations with communists, whom he said are pushing for a power-sharing setup that violates the 1987 Constitution.
He was also angered by the rebels’ attacks that harmed civilians and their collection of revolutionary taxes from businesses.
Duterte, who had a friendly relationship with communist rebels when he was still mayor of Davao City, has also clas- sified the CPP and its armed wing New People’s Army (NPA) as “terrorist organizations.”
While Duterte has described holding talks with communists as a “waste of time,” he has assured Idun Tvedt, Norwegian special envoy to the peace process, that his administration remains committed to peace. Norway served as third party facilitator for the peace talks between the government and the communists.
“So I’m talking to the communists. The Norwegian officials came here to explore the possibility of talking again. I have to consult my military people. Why? They are the ones dying, not me. I said I will talk to the military. If you would agree, I might,” the President said in a speech last month.
“I won’t waste my time. I am not thinking about it even. Why? Because now it’s beyond my control... How do you feel? What’s your take? It is good for us to fight forever or should we talk?” he added.
Duterte sparked outrage recently after saying that female NPA members should be shot in their vaginas. He later clarified that his comment was directed at rebels who leave their children to wage an armed struggle against the government.
Have papers, will travel
Meanwhile, the military will assist female rebel returnees who want to avail themselves of the government’s Hong Kong tour offer, all expenses paid, including processing of travel documents.
Maj. Ezra Balagtey, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s Davao-based Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom), said they are under instructions to help former NPA female rebel returnees secure the needed documents for them to acquire passports.
“We will be helping any of the 89 female rebel returnees who joined the tour in Manila and Malacañang in securing the necessary papers in anticipation of their special tour to Hong Kong on a date yet to be determined,” Balagtey said.
He added though that some of the 89 former rebels could not join the trip since they are either sick or pregnant.
Duterte earlier encouraged the rebels to lay down their weapons, promising that his government will take care of their needs through various livelihood projects and enlist them as militiamen.