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Duterte terminates peace talks with communists


President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said he is pulling out the government from the peace negotiations with communists.

In a press conference during his visit to his parents' tombs in Davao City, Duterte said he is ordering members of the government's peace panel to "to fold up the tents and come home."

"Peace talks will remain cancelled unless there is a compelling reason that will benefit the interest of the nation," he said.

The peace panels of the government and the National Democratic Front were supposed to hold a special meeting in The Netherlands this month to discuss the bilateral ceasefire.

A bilateral ceasefire is among the agenda of the peace panels in the scheduled resumption of talks this coming April in Oslo, Norway.

Duterte cited during the press conference the failed peace negotaitions since the time of President Fidel Ramos until the time of former President Benigno Aquino III.

"This time it should end here... Puwede ba o hindi?"

He insisted that he will not order the release of all 400 political prisoners.

He also denied making a promise to release all political prisoners.

"We started with 18 and we came up with 23 leaders and now its 400. Eh kung ganun mag-surrender na lang kami," he said.

He added: "I am not interested arguing with them... I never promised.. I said [National Democractic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines] leaders, so that leaders can go to Oslo to talk... Ngayon 400 ed di kung 400 lahat na lang. Ano pang pag-usapan natin?"

Duterte on Friday announced that he is suspending the government's unilateral ceasefire with the communist group.

The Communist Party of the Philippines initially suspended its unilateral ceasefire with the government. —ALG, GMA News

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