(Eagle News) — The government will not resume peace talks with the Communist rebels just yet.
Peace Secretary Jesus Dureza made the announcement in a press conference on Thursday, June 14.
This was after Jose Maria Sison, founder of the Communist Party of the Philippines, said the negotiations would resume on June 28.
Although the government never made an announcement the peace talks would resume on that date, Dureza earlier said the government was doing its best to meet the 60-day deadline President Rodrigo Duterte had set for the negotiations.
According to Dureza, there was still a need to “engage the public” before peace talks can resume, as pointed out by the President.
Dureza did not elaborate, but added there was a need for an “enabling environment” before the negotiations can happen.
“In other words, ano areas na afflicted by conflict at ang mga tao dun, hindi ambivalent e. Galit ba, pwede ba natin i-explain? Pwede ba natin kunin support? Di lang dahil nagusap kami ng both sides, done na,” he said.
He said they have already informed the Norwegian government, which is serving as a third-party facilitator, and the other side of the Philippine government’s decision.
As for Duterte’s offer of safe passage to the Philippines and back to Sison, who is in exile abroad, for possible talks, Dureza said “tuloy pa rin yun.”
Earlier, Sison said the back-channel negotiations between the Philippines and his group had been successful, after both sides reached a “stand-down agreement.”
The preliminary ceasefire, Sison said, would start on June 21.
In November 2017, the President signed Proclamation 360, formally scrapping the peace talks over alleged attacks by the Communist rebels despite a ceasefire being in place then.
He later, however, ordered his officials to work toward the resumption of peace talks.