Duterte still open to peace talks despite ‘crush’ order vs NPA

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is not closing his doors for the possible resumption of peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) even if he had just ordered state forces to “crush” members of its armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), Malacañang said Thursday.

“The President, as we always hear him, he always leaves a space, the window ajar for any peace negotiation with them,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a Palace briefing.

On Tuesday, Duterte ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to crush the communist rebels.

“[H]e will not allow the attacks, the assaults against our forces. That is why if they attempt to do that, the order is to crush them,” Panelo explained.

Duterte’s fresh directive came days after he revealed that he would send Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to talk to CPP founder Jose Maria Sison, who is on self-exile in The Netherlands, for the possible resumption of peace negotiations.

Sison has said that he would not want to engage in peace talks if negotiations would be held in the Philippines.

“According to Joma Sison, if it’s here, he doesn’t want it. But as far as we’re concerned, if you’re sincere, the venue is not important,” Panelo said.

Duterte terminated the government’s peace talks with CPP-NPA in November 2017 after the rebels supposedly waged a series of attacks against state forces.

Edited by KGA