Bello: Duterte not bluffing, but yet to give ‘final instruction’ to end peace talks

Labor Secretary and Chief Peace Negotiator Silvestre Bello III. ROBINSON NIÑAL JR./Presidential Photo

Government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III has said the government peace panel was waiting for the “final instruction” of President Rodrigo Duterte to send a formal letter of termination of the peace talks to the communist rebels.

“We are still waiting for the final instruction (from Duterte). To terminate the talks, we have to write them and inform them that we are terminating,” Bello said in a chance interview in Malacañang on Monday night.

“It will take effect 30 days after the receipt of the letter. Kami ang gagawa (We will write the letter) upon the instruction of the President. If he said we send a formal termination, then we would do that,” he added.

READ: ‘Bully’ Duterte tells Reds: No more talks

But Bello clarified that there was no instruction yet from the President to send a letter of termination to the communist rebels.

Asked whether the President’s statement to end peace talks was just a “bluff,” he said, “Hindi, totoo iyon. Sabi niya ayaw na niya (Nope, he means it. He said he no longer wants to talk).”

In a press briefing on Monday after his second State of the Nation, Duterte was asked whether his decision to end peace talks with the communist rebels was final, he said “yes.”

He then ordered the military to be “unforgiving” to the communist rebels amid their attacks against government forces.

READ: Duterte to military: Be unforgiving to communist rebels

“I’m ordering the military and the police to be unforgiving to the communist rebels as they are very unforgiving to us,” he said. IDL