President Rodrigo Duterte is still willing to talk peace with communist rebels, although not anytime soon.
“The communists — we will talk eventually whichever way you want it. We will talk in a matter of time. But I am quite tough,” the President said in a recent speech in Zamboanga Sibugay.
He made the remarks last week, a day after he signed the landmark Bangsamoro Organic Law which creates the Bangsamoro autonomous region.
Addressing local leaders in Mindanao, the President said he hoped to develop a good relationship with communist rebels, noting that the government would eventually have to talk peace with them someday.
Even after this term
The President initially canceled the peace talks with the communist rebels in November last year but decided to give it another try in March.
However, Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chair Jose Ma. Sison disagreed with the condition that the peace negotiations should be held in the Philippines.
Sison also declared that the rebels would no longer return to the negotiating table with the government under Mr. Duterte’s leadership, and that they would support efforts to oust him.
In his speech last week, the President said there would come a day when the government and CPP would talk peace anew, even if his term was already over.
“I may not be the President by that time but we have to talk because we cannot fight a war against our own people,” he said.
The President also appealed to armed groups not to lay a hand on civilians in their fighting.
Offer talks to Abu Sayyaf
Following the President’s extension of the olive branch to the Abu Sayyaf group, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana maintained on Sunday that it was probably easier to undertake the peace process with the bandits than with communist rebels.
During the President’s visit to fire victims in Jolo, Sulu, on Friday, he asked the Abu Sayyaf to spare him from kidnapping and assassination, offering talks with the bandit group to put an end to the fighting.
In his speech, the President said in Filipino, “Let’s just talk. I am ready to talk. I am ready to reopen the barter trade. It will help many Tausug and even the Yakan.”
The President, referring to the Abu Sayyaf as Malay brothers, said they should not heed what Arabs were telling them to do, apparently referring to the Islamic State group.
He even offered to give Abu Sayyaf members medals of the Order of Lapu-Lapu which he was also awarding to brave soldiers.
“If you are a courageous Filipino, I will give you this [medal]. I will give this to Moro soldiers. But if we understand each other, you Abu Sayyaf, I will give you a big Lapu-Lapu the size of a saucer just so we can settle matters,” he said.