AFP backs gov’t move to delay peace talks

Col. Edgard Arevalo, chief of the AFP Public Information Office. (Photo from his Facebook page)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday expressed support for the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to cancel the resumption of peace talks with the communist rebels supposedly set this month.

The military “subscribes to the shared aspiration towards the attainment of a just and lasting peace attained through dialogues and deliberation,” said AFP spokesperson Col. Edgard Arevalo.

“It is for this reason that we support the desire of our Commander-in-Chief to afford more time for consultation with the public with regard to the matters discussed during the back channel talks and ensure that its substance enjoy the support of a broader mass base,” he added.

Presidential Peace Adviser on the Peace Process, Secretary Jesus Dureza, said on Thursday that the President had ordered the suspension of talks to allow more public consultation on the issue.

It was not clear when the peace talks would resume. The talks were supposedly set on June 28. /jpv

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