MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday ordered the resumption of peace talks with Maoist rebels, his presidential adviser on the peace process announced, signifying another shot at striking a deal aimed at ending decades of rebellion.
Duterte’s change of direction comes after months of heated rhetoric from both sides, in which they blamed each other for the failure to strike a peace deal that will end 49 years of armed conflict.
Jesus Dureza, Duterte’s adviser on the peace process, said that the president made the announcement during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Dureza said that Duterte instructed government officials to “work on the resumption of peace talks” with clear instructions on striking a ceasefire agreement that would stop attacks by both sides as negotiations were underway.
“Let’s give this another last chance,” Dureza quoted the president as saying in giving his instructions.
Duterte commits 'support'
The president also gave his commitment to provide the rebels with “support” in exchange for the stoppage of their collection of so-called revolutionary taxes, a sore point in the negotiations.
It is unclear if the government will withdraw a Justice department petition seeking to label more than 600 suspected communists as terrorists. The petition is still pending at a Manila court.
Duterte terminated peace negotiations with the communists in November last year, accusing them of pushing for a coalition government, a power-sharing setup which is not allowed under the 1987 Constitution.
The scrapping of talks was also prompted by repeated attacks on security forces, including on a convoy of presidential bodyguards in July 2017 and an attack on a police officer in Bukidnon in November that left an infant dead.
The president also blasted the New People’s Army, the armed wing of the communists, for their attacks on government security forces and for continuously collecting revolutionary taxes.
On Tuesday, Duterte said that was open to resuming peace negotiations and stressed that he no longer wanted to see Filipinos killing their countrymen fighting for their principles.
“You know, we are not enemies. Even if I want to fight, my heart tells me that I am killing my fellow Filipinos. But the problem is you are doing the same. I want to talk peace with you,” Duterte said in an event in Oriental Mindoro.
Hopes of a peace deal rose after Duterte appointed progressive individuals in his Cabinet in his first year in office.
However, relations between the two sides have soured as they accused each other of insincerity and continuing armed attacks despite ongoing negotiations.