President Duterte is willing to grant “concessions,” including awarding of public lands, to communist rebels and Muslim insurgents as part of the peace negotiations with the government.
The President recognized that the rebels would not simply lay down their guns without getting any resources and funds to start over.
“We can only talk and if you are able to convince the communists, they would require a huge amount, resources. They will not go into a surrendering mode by just simply dropping the guns. They would ask for concessions,” the President said during an agri-business forum in Davao City last Friday.
“Concessions would be land, which is very good. I agree with them, I can open up the whole, the entire Republic of the Philippines, all public lands ibigay ko, tutal hindi naman nagagamit, especially for food,” he said.
(Genalyn D. Kabiling)