Duterte to gov't panel: Don't resume talks if Reds continue attacks

President Rodrigo Duterte is firm on his stand not to talk peace with the communists if they will not stop their hostilities against the government, Malacañang said Wednesday, the same day the rebels attacked a two-vehicle government convoy.

The Palace said Duterte stressed this during his meeting with the government peace panel led by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III in Malacañang on Tuesday night.

"President Duterte, for his part, stressed that the Reds really need to stop engaging the military in Mindanao if they want to continue the peace negotiations, adding that the government has always dealt with the communist rebels in good faith," Malacañang said.

Hours before the statement was issued, personnel from the Presidential Security Group (PSG) were ambushed by New People's Army (NPA) rebels in Arakan, Cotabato, injuring four PSG members. The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

Malacañang has yet to issue a statement on the encounter. It earlier urged the CPP, through its negotiating arm, the National Democratic Front, to reciprocate the government's commitment in the peace talks.

Malacañang, in its statement on the peace talks, said presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza wants the communists to follow certain guidelines for a possible ceasefire deal.

The resumption of the formal peace talks, the Palace said, will then depend on the communists' commitment to suspend operations against the military and the police and to stop all their extortion activities on the ground, among others.

The fifth round of talks was put on hold in May after the government peace panel withdrew because of the CPP's call for the NPA to intensify attacks amid the martial law declaration in Mindanao.

Bello announced earlier this month that both the government and the NDF panels want to resume the fifth round of talks in August, but informal talks would be held weeks before.  —KBK, GMA News