Duterte orders backchannel talks with CPP founder Joma Sison

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered that backchannel talks be conducted with Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria "Joma" Sison.

The information was confirmed by former Philippine Coconut Authority administrator and current Movie and Television Review and Classification Board member Avelino "Billy" Andal on Tuesday, according to a report on Dobol B sa News TV by Tuesday Niu.

JUST IN: Pangulong Duterte, ipinag-utos ang back-channeling talks kay José María Canlás Sison ng Communist Party of the Philippines. | via @mamutuesday pic.twitter.com/xJQHzMmmYh

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Andal said Duterte himself gave him the order to start backchannel talks with Sison when they met at a wake last week.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo, however, has yet to confirm the order.

"I have no information on that, but I will not be surprised if there is one," Panelo said at a news conference in Malacañang, even as he expressed doubt about Andal's designation.

"I don't think so. He’s [Andal] not involved in the negotiation process. [The] members of the panel would be [Labor] Secretary [Silvestre III] Bello, he’s one of them," he said.

Panelo said Duterte has always been open to talking to the communist movement "ever since."

"The only condition is stop doing this ambuscades and extortion activities; because he doesn’t want Filipinos killing each other – that has been his line and policy ever since, even when he was still a mayor [of Davao City]," Panelo said.

The Palace official surmised that the communists, who have been waging a rebellion for 50 years now, are already "tired fighting the government."

"What is important to me is if there is one [backchannel talks], then the CPP-NPA [Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army] at this time and for a change should listen to the President. Enough of these ambuscades, enough of these extortion activities and we will sit down," Panelo said.

"And most likely, they may finally listen to the urgings of the President. I think they are also tired fighting the government," he added.

The backchannel talks aim to get the CPP-National Democratic Front of the Philippines to agree to resume peace talks.

Andal said one reason Duterte may have chosen him to lead the backchannel talks is the fact that he and Sison were together in the CPP.

He added that he was able to talk to one of the CPP-New People's Army leaders and the news about starting backchannel talks was seen as a welcome development.

Andal said militarization will not solve the rift with the communists, but having peace talks is the answer.

Peace talks between the government and the Reds began during the term of former President Corazon Aquino.

According to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, over 40 rounds of peace talks have been conducted by the government and the CPP-NPA-NDFP since 1986.

READ: TIMELINE: The peace talks between the government and the CPP-NPA-NDF, 1986 – present

Duterte already terminated the peace talks with the communist rebels in November 2017 by issuing Proclamation 360.

The said proclamation states that the peace negotiations have been terminated because “despite the best efforts of the administration, the communists failed to show sincerity and commitment in pursuing genuine and meaningful peace negotiations as it engaged in acts of violence and hostilities, endangering the lives and properties of innocent people.”

However, Duterte last week said he is still open to having peace talks.

Sison, also NDFP chief political consultant, on Saturday said he welcomes the statement of Duterte that he is still open to having peace talks. —With a report from Virgil Lopez/KG, GMA News