President Duterte said over the weekend that he had set a 60-day timeframe for peace talks he is seeking to revive with communist guerrillas, urging the rebels’ exiled leader to come home to hammer out a deal.
The conflict between the government and the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has raged for half a century and killed more than 40,000 people.
In February, a Norwegian diplomat met Duterte to try to convince him to restart negotiations that the President had scrapped in anger at what he considers duplicity by the communists.
Earlier this month, Duterte ordered his Cabinet to work on a truce to enable talks, but the communist rebels have rejected any preconditions.
Jose Maria Sison, leader of the CPP, has been in exile in the Netherlands since his release from prison in the late 1980s.
“I am talking to Sison now. It is an off and on thing (and) probably the military and the police have misgivings,” Duterte said in a speech the 24th annual convention of the National Federation of Motorcycle Clubs of the Philippines in Legazpi City, Albay. “But my duty, my fundamental basic duty is to see to it that the country is peaceful,” he said.
Duterte said he had “created a small window (of) 60 days” for the talks and urged Sison to come home to the negotiating table. He did not say when the 60-day period would start.
He said he would pay for the rebel leader’s expenses, including his air fare.
The President said that he chose to order the resumption of the peace talks with the CPP-NPA-National Democratic Front because it is his duty to ensure that the Philippines is a peaceful country.
Showing his sincerity, Duterte asked government forces for understanding, reminding them of his mandate as President to see to it that the country is peaceful.
“I’m talking to Sison now. It’s an off and on thing. Probably, ang mga military pati mga pulis may misgivings, but sinabi ko naman sa inyo, I am not a President who is a soldier and I am not a President who is a policeman,” Duterte said.
“My duty, my fundamental basic duty, is to see to it that the country is peaceful,” he added. “Take advantage of that 60 days. If it succeeds, then I would like to thank God una, and the Filipino people and the military and the police and – for their understanding,” he said.
“Eh wala akong magawa eh (I can’t do anything about it), I have to seek peace that is to be sought.” (Argyll Geducos and Reuters)
