Better to hold peace talks with Red in PHL —AFP chief

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Carlito Galvez Jr. on Thursday said that it would be better for the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines to hold peace talks in the country once the two sides return to the negotiating table.

Galvez echoed the statement of President Rodrigo Duterte, who last month even offered to shoulder the trip of communist leaders once they agree to hold the peace negotiations in the Philippines.

Ending the almost five years of impasse, the Duterte administration with the Royal Norwegian Government acting as a third-party facilitator, conducted its first round of peace talks with the NDF in Oslo from August 22 to 26, 2016.

The second round of peace talks was also conducted in Oslo from October 6 to 10, 2016 while the third round of peace talks was conducted in Rome, Italy from January 19 to 25, 2017.

The President then terminated the peace talks on February 4, 2017 but the fourth round of peace talks resumed in Amsterdam, The Netherlands from April 3 to 6 of the same year.

"Nakita namin, hindi siya nag-co-contribute positively, mas maganda dito sa local...Mas maganda yung malo-localize natin yung peace talks," Galvez said.

The AFP chief said that holding the formal talks locally would allow the communist rebels to get in touch with what has really been going on the ground.

"Mas maganda pa rin dito...Kasi how can [we] have yung peace talks na yung nalalaman nila Joma [Sison] don sa ano, hindi nila alam yung local dito, medyo malayo sila sa ano, they have been in Europe for almost many years," Galvez said.

"Kung ano talagang nangyayari dito, kung anong situation, yung conditions na alam nila, dapat makita talaga nila yung conditions," he added.

Two days before the fifth round of formal talks scheduled on November 25-27 in Oslo, Norway, Duterte signed Proclamation No. 360 terminating the peace negotiations. —JST, GMA News