Duterte: Maybe another president will pursue peace talks with Left

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he would leave it up to the next president to pursue the peace talks with the communists.

At the Philippine Army change of command ceremony, Duterte reiterated that talking to the Left would not benefit the country.

“You can just imagine, we are fighting the New People’s Army. At this stage, I am not ready to talk to them because it is not good for the country. Eh kung para lang sa bayan, okay ‘yan,” he said.

“But the way that it is now, ayaw ko. And maybe it would take some time to… maybe another President to do it. Sabi ko, ‘It’s been 50 years.’ Estudyante ako noon, nakikinig naman ako kay Sison,” he added, referring to the founding chairperson of the Communists Party of the Philippines Jose Maria Sison.

Duterte nixed peace talks with the communists after the New People’s Army conducted a series of attacks against government troops.

However, the government has yet to announce that it has sent a formal letter of termination to the Royal Norwegian Government, third party facilitator of the peace talks. — RSJ, GMA News