Duterte to NPA : Not Ready to give up Peace talks with communists

Now that the Maute group in Marawi is done for, the President has now trained his sights to the New Peoples Army.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte fresh from his highly successful official 2 day trip in Japan, jas  made a renewed call to the communist rebels, that is for them to surrender to the government authorities. As he promised to “continuously” talk to them even though the recent round of talks was not that fruitful.

The president made that call to the communist rebels in his press briefing in Davao after his arrival from Japan. *

Eight members of the NPA in Sultan Kudarat surrendered to the Philippine Army yesterday (Nov. 2) (photo courtesy of Philippine Army)

The president assured the communists rebels that his administration is very much ready to provide them houses and employment jobs in the event they surrender.

“Look, I am addressing myself to all the soldiers of the New People’s Army. Mag-surrender na lang kayo ngayon at ibaba ninyo ang inyong baril o i-surrender ninyo,” he said.
“At sabi ko, may trabaho kayo naghihintay. At I am building, all throughout the country, almost 5,000 sa National Housing Authority,” he added.

The president was asked to comment regarding the localized peace talks initiated by his daughter Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio, he said he was supportive of the move of his daughter.

Yes. Kung mag-surrender kayo lahat, wala naman talaga mangyari,” he said.
Duterte had previously said he would no longer push through with the peace talks with the communist rebels, saying it’s “a waste of people’s money.”

The recent peace talks was actually the fifith round and was suspended last May 27 when the panel from the government withdrew from the negotiating table after the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) ordered the NPA guerrillas to intensify attacks against government  forces.

The president is undeterred by the numerous setbacks between the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing the –New Peoples Army and the government peace negotiating panel. *

“Fifty years in the making, then you are another 50 years. We can talk continuously with the left. I am not about ready to give up everything and anything in the — in the, in the altar of peace for our country,” he said.
“I do not fight them with money or… I’m just saying na kung mag-surrender kayo, ayaw na ninyo gusto ng patayan, or pumatay ng kapwa mo Pilipino, mag-surrender ka na. Bigyan kita ng bahay automatic, at bigyan kita ng trabaho,”the President from Davao added.

Current Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE)  Secretary Silvestre Bello is the  concurrent chief negotiator of the government, has made it public that he is hopeful on the resumption of the peace talks between the two parties.

“The prospect of a resumption (peace talks) is very bright. We are just waiting for the final instruction from the President,” Bello said in a GMA News TV interview on Wednesday.

“We are still hopeful that he (Duterte) would eventually order us to proceed with the talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-Nationsl Democratic Front of the Philippines),” the DOLE  Sec. added.

The Department of National Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana has also echoed the call of the President for the NPA rebels to give peace a chance and lay down their arms and live a normal life again.  *

"The President's latest call for the NPA fighters to lay down their arms, return to society, and live normal lives only shows that he is giving the NPA every chance at achieving a peaceful resolution to the longstanding armed conflict,” he said.

Report from PDI