No more peace talks with communist rebels, says Duterte

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte has ruled out peace talks with the communist rebels, saying they have “no respect” following the recent attacks on troops doing relief work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Again, this is a sad thing to know that yung mga sundalo ko pinagpapatay while doing the most honorable task of accompanying the government workers delivering money and the food,” Duterte said in an address aired Monday.

“Again, this is a sad thing to know that my soldiers were killed while doing the most honorable task of accompanying the government workers delivering money and food,” Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino,  in a televised address on Monday.

“I am so sad about this development, but there will always be a time for reckoning. There [are] no more peace talks to talk about. I am not, I will never be ready for any round of talks,” he added. “Because, simply, the NPA [New People’s Army], the Communist Party of the Philippines, [have] no respect either for their spoken words or in their deeds of killing soldiers who are on humanitarian missions.”

Days earlier, the President threatened to declare martial law should the communist rebels continue with their attacks.

Duterte made the warning after two soldiers were killed and three others were wounded in an attack by the NPA during a distribution of aid in Aurora province.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) condemned Duterte’s threat, saying he should stop using the communist rebels to justify his penchant for a martial law rule.

/atm