Duterte to government: Resume peace talks with communist guerrillas

DAVAO CITY – Mayor Rodrigo Duterte urged the government yesterday to revive the long-stalled peace talks with the communist rebels, who have increased their attacks in this part of the country in the past eight months.

“We cannot go on like this. We cannot fight forever. We cannot kill each other forever. It cannot go on this way forever,” he said.

At some point, Duterte said the government and the communist guerrillas should go back to the negotiating table and talk.

“It is good to talk. At the end of the day, we shall reach a point that we have to talk,” he said.

He added: “There are enemies of the state that you cannot kill. There are atrocities or wars that we cannot afford to be silent about. We have to talk.”

Duterte lamented how the peace talks with the National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army have been in the doldrums for sometime, paving the way for the renewed skirmishes between government forces and the insurgents.

“Violence would get us nowhere. If possible, let us just talk. But all means, let us look for avenues to talk,” he said, adding that the government should exert more efforts in reopening channels for peace negotiations with the guerrillas.

Duterte said the insurgents have intensified their attacks against military and police installations as well as private companies in Southern Mindanao, particularly in Compostela Valley, Davao del Norte and Davao Oriental.

“And I understand the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) is also on the offensive against the NPA rebels. But this cannot go on forever,” he said.

Duterte said the continued rampage of the NPA rebels in Southern Mindanao stems from the decision of high-level communist leaders.

“These rebels, I understand, do not act on their own but follow the command of their higher-ups. And this is the more reason for the peace talks to be revived,” he said.

In their latest attack last Friday night, NPA guerrillas stormed the Rio Vista Agri Venture farms of Marsman Drysdale Corp. in Maco, Compostela Valley and burned a single-seater aerial spray plane.