TALKS STILL ALIVE?

Bello: We’re waiting for Duterte instruction to revive talks with Reds

Labor Secretary and government peace panel chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III on Thursday expressed hope that President Rodrigo Duterte would revive talks with the communists.

At a briefing in Malacañang, Bello told reporters that the Philippine government has yet to send a formal notice to terminate the peace talks even if Duterte keeps saying he will no longer pursue negotiations with the Reds.

Bello explained that Duterte only canceled specific events—the fifth round of talks in June and the backchannel discussions in July— and not the entire peace process.

“But that did not mean that the talks were canceled or terminated. And we have been consistently saying that in order to terminate the talks, either of the parties have to serve the party with a written notice of termination. And the termination takes effect 30 days after receipt of that notice of termination,” he said.

Bello added that Duterte would not abandon his promise to achieve lasting peace in the country.

“If you recall, when the President came in as our President, he made a very clear statement that his legacy to our country and our countrymen is a lasting peace for our country,” he said.

“So, I don’t think that—that the President has abandoned—abandoned that legacy,” he added.

When it was pointed out to him that Duterte recently said that another president would have to pursue the talks, Bello replied: “I really don’t know, basta the talks are alive and we are just waiting for the President to give us the instruction to go back to the peace table.” — RSJ, GMA News