Duterte set to meet with 3 leftist Cabinet members
The three leftist Cabinet members are set to meet with President Rodrigo Duterte in Malacañang on February 20 to talk about the cancelled peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New people’s Army (CPP-NPA).
Speaking with reporters on Thursday, National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) chair Liza Maza said Duterte wanted to meet her together with Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo and Agrarian Secretary Rafael Mariano.
“[Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process] Secretary [Jesus] Dureza was supposed to update us on the third round of talks in the last Cabinet meeting. But we were not able to go there anymore because there were a lot of items in the agenda. So the President just told us that he will just meet us, kaming mga…pursigido…the three of us, he wants to meet,” Maza said in a Palace briefing.
The poverty czar said he was optimistic the President would listen to their views and eventually change his decision and revive the peace talks.
“I’m quite gung ho. The fact that he wants to meet us, my interpretation is that he is open to hearing our views. He is open to hearing us out,” she said.
“I hope he will revive the peace talks because it is important,” she added.
Maza, who is a member of the government peace panel, said Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza and Labor Secretary and government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III would be prsent during their meeting with Duterte. RAM/rga
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