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Reds yet to show sincerity in pursuing peace —AFP


The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said that it had yet to see the sincerity of the communist rebels on returning to the peace negotiations as they have seemed to continue with their atrocities.

AFP spokesperson Brigadier General Bienvenido Datuin said that the armed wing of the communist rebels should "stop all the atrocities" if they are ready to talk peace.

"Sabi ko nga eh when we go to the table, it should be done in good faith, everything should be done in good faith. We have to be sincere on this matter, so 'pag umupo na tayo diyan, they should stop the extortion, the harassment, the burning, the harassment on civilians, it should all stop if we really talk peace on this matter," AFP spokesperson Brigadier General Bienvenido Datuin said at a press conference.

"For us, the Armed Forces, when we say go down to the negotiating table, then we do it, then we do it with all our hearts, these are things that we take with sincerity and truthfulness," he added.

Datuin said that the recent incident in Quezon province in which suspected members of the New People's Army raided a ranch and abducted six workers as well as the ambush they alleged committed in Antipolo City which wounded six police commandos have showed the "true color" of the communist rebels.

"They are really terrorists in this nature...they are criminals along the line," he said.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said that he would consult the military before making a decision on the resumption of the peace talks.

It was in November last year when the President signed Proclamation No. 360, terminating the peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NPA-NDFP).

Duterte has also declared the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization in December 2017. —Marlly Rome Bondoc/NB, GMA News