(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte vowed to work for peace with groups considered “enemies of the state” as he gave peace talks with communist rebels a timeframe of 60 says to come up with an agreement.
During his speech commemorating the 120th Philippine independence, Duterte said that he is “ready to talk” with exiled communist leader Jose Maria Sison if he would come to the country.
“Itong mga komunista, I’m ready to talk to them. Why? Because they’re more or less fighting for something which is a matter of principle,” he said during a program in Kawit, Cavite where Philippine independence was first declared 120 years ago.
President Duterte said it was important to put things in the “proper perspective.”
He said that is why he is willing to talk to Communist Party of the Philippines founding chair Sison who was once his political science professor.
“I said I will talk to the enemies. That is why I am talking to Sison. Sabi ko, ‘we can talk. Bumalik ka dito. Ako ang sasagot sa lahat ng gastusin’,” Duterte said during his speech.
“We will talk and we will give each other 60 days to agree,” he said describing this as a “small window of opportunity” to come together to arrive at a peace agreement.
“Kaya mahal ko ito sila,” he said referring to the communists who, he said, supported him during his presidential campaign.
The President said Sison “can choose a camp where he can stay” and that he will “contribute to (his) subsistence” for the entire 60 days.
“Sana naman maawa ang Diyos sa atin. If this succeeds, my only problem will be the rebellion in Mindanao,” Duterte said.
He said he is also talking to Nur Misuari of the Moro National Liberation Front.
“So I’m talking. Sabi ko, I will talk peace with the enemies of the State – verily they are vis a vis with the legitimate elected government, they are enemies of the State,” he explained.
Duterte stressed he is just fulfilling what he had promised in the campaign, including his pledge to fight crime and corruption, and to work for peace.
President Duterte in ending his speech vowed to “work the extra mile for peace.”
He said that the military knew that the New People’s Army and the Left supported him.
But he said that when he became the President of the country, his friendship with the Left had been affected.
“This I will guarantee, kayong mga Left, if the talks will not succeed with the Communist Party of the Philippines, I will keep my word of honor, ihatid ko si Maria Sison sa airport. Now, as to his coming back, that’s out of the question kasi may kaso po,” Duterte said.
“But I am willing to work the extra mile towards peace in our land,” he added.
