The Philippines has resumed negotiating with the communists in back-channel talks in Europe, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said Tuesday.
“Our team is now in Europe and we are informed that there are initial positive results so far,” Dureza added.
He made his statement even as Rep. Tom Villarin on Tuesday doubted the peace efforts being pursued by the Duterte administration with the communist rebels in whatever channel it is being conducted.
“Hope for peace springs eternal. It should be a national policy rather than war as an instrument of policy,” Villarin said.
“But under Duterte who has waged a war against his own people, the prospects of genuine peace is elusive.”
Rep. Gus Tambunting said “every effort to secure peace must be encouraged and supported.”
Dureza said he and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III briefed President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday night on the peace process with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing the New People’s Army.
They told Duterte that the “efforts to resume peace the negotiations with the CPP/NPA/NDF were underway, with informal back-channel talks now taking place in Europe.”
Dureza did not disclose who was representing the government, but Bello said a team “will return home soon to personally brief the President on the outcomes.”
“We are doing our best to meet the deadline set by the President about the resumption of talks within 60 days,” Bello said.
The latest effort to discuss peace with the communists was called a “last chance” by the Duterte administration that ends by 2022.
Duterte has said the government will return to the negotiating table only when both parties agree to a bilateral ceasefire.