Dureza: Gov’t ‘silently’ working on peace talks; terror tag on CPP-NPA stays

The government has opted for a "quiet" approach in returning to the negotiating table with communist rebels, according to Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza.

"It's going to be quiet talks muna and then so that if there is going to be some big results there, that's the time when we're gonna disclose it," he said in an interview on CNN Philippines on Thursday.

When asked whether the government has conducted back channel talks with rebels, the peace adviser said they wanted to avoid premature disclosure.

"We'd like to see an abbreviated approach now and make public disclosure when we have milestones to announce," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte last week announced his plan to resume negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

He had scrapped peace negotiations last November over continued attacks by the rebels on government troops and civilians.

Dureza said he and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III were in a "hurry" to resume formal talks, saying that Duterte had given them a 60-day deadline to get the job done.

Dureza also said the President emphasized it would be the "last chance."

"At one time, he said nga, 'I'm directing already you, Bebot and you, to already work on it,' pero sabi niya, 'last chance ito," he said.

In a separate interview, CPP founder Jose Maria Sison said his side was "happy" with the prospect of returning to the negotiating table.

"The important thing is that the principals, namely, President Duterte and National Council of the [NDF] have given the go-signal to their respective negotiating panels to contact each other in preparation for the formal talks," he said.

With the "ongoing" effort for peace talks to push through, Dureza was asked whether there was any plan to withdraw the petition seeking to legally declare over 600 CPP-NPA members and affiliates as "terrorists."

The Presidential peace adviser, however, said "no."

"My understanding is when the talks were cancelled, that was a necessary step that government had to pursue. Wala nang talks eh, okay? But you have to file a case, a petition in court. And the cases there are all pending, they're all there. There are no efforts to withdraw it," he explained.

"We'd like to meet with them across the table muna and find out how to deal with those," he added.

Duterte signed a proclamation declaring the CPP-NPA as a terror organization in December. — Margaret Claire Layug/BM, GMA News