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Duterte ends peace process, tells Reds to talk to next President


President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday announced the formal termination of the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.

Duterte's pronouncement came three days after he terminated the appointments of the five-man government negotiating panel led by Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on the ground that the talks were already canceled since November 2017.

"I am officially announcing the permanent termination of our talks between the government panel and the Communist Party of the Philippines," Duterte said in a speech at the 122nd anniversary of the Philippine Army in Taguig City.

"I would like to announce that I am no longer entertaining any interventions or maybe persuasions in this democratic state of the Republic of the Philippines. My sense is that you can maybe talk to the next president of this republic one day," he said.

Duterte also warned the communist rebels to stop their land grabbing activities or else he will order the soldier and the police to shoot them.

"If you do that, I will order the soldier and the police to shoot you and to shoot you dead," he said.

He hoped that more rebels will be convinced by the government to surrender.

Earlier in the day, presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said localized panels will be formed following the dissolution of the government panel.

Citing information from Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Carlito Galvez Jr., Panelo said sectoral representatives, local government units and the military will make up the panels for localized peace talks with the communists.

Panelo could not say when the panels will be constituted and begin their work.

The President earlier set out a new strategy in addressing "local armed communist conflict" as provided under Executive Order 70, which he signed on December 4 last year.

The EO provides that the whole-of-nation approach aims to address the root causes of insurgencies, disturbances and tensions such as poverty, historical injustice, social inequality and lack of inclusivity.

It also ordered the creation of a national task force to address the communist insurgency. —NB, GMA News

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