Duterte ready to sign notice of termination of talks with Reds

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III says the government peace panel is just waiting for the “final instruction” of President Rodrigo Duterte to end peace talks with the communists. (File photo from the Philippine Daily Inquirer)

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he would be ready to sign a formal notice of termination to end the peace talks with the communist rebels.

“Give me a piece of paper. I will write it for you. Give it to them,” Duterte told reporters after attending the 113th anniversary celebration of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) in Quezon City.

“What do you intend to accomplish? It only ends up at name-calling [and] shouting,” he added. “Don’t waste my time. I have so many things to do,”

Duterte, who appeared to be unaware that a formal letter would be needed to terminate the talks, reiterated he was no longer interested with the peace talks with communist guerrillas.

“Ayaw ko na, sabi ko (I give up, I said). So is there any other protocol that I have to comply before it becomes final?” he said.

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, chief government negotiator, said the peace panel, was just waiting for the “final instruction” of Duterte to send a formal letter of termination of the peace talks to the communist rebels.

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

“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. /atm