(Eagle News) – A Catholic priest who was taken hostage by the ISIS-inspired Maute rebels at the start of the Marawi siege was among the hostages rescued by government troops on Saturday night, September 16, according to a facebook post of presidential peace adviser Jesus “Jess” Dureza. In his post, Dureza said he got the information that the priest Chito Suganob was with another hostage rescued by the government troops near Bato mosque at “162300hsept2017.” […]
Tag: Dureza
PHL gov’t formally withdraws from talks with communist leaders in Netherlands
(Eagle News) — The Philippine government peace negotiators held their ground not to participate in the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) after the communists’ order to the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels to intensify attacks on government forces after the martial law declaration of President Rodrigo Duterte. Dureza and the head of the government negotiating panel, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, announced Monday morning in Noordwijk aan Zee, […]
Joma Sison says CPP-NDF wants bilateral ceasefire as 4th round of formal talks start
(Eagle News) – The fourth round of formal peace talks opened on Monday, April 3, in the Hague, The Netherlands where both panels from the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines spoke positively of having a bilateral ceasefire agreement signed soon. No less than the NDFP chief consultant, Communist Party of the Philippines founding chair Jose Maria Sison thanked President Rodrigo Duterte for “being gracious” in allowing the members […]
Gov’t panel members and communist leaders agree to resume peace talks in April
(Eagle News) — The negotiating panels of both the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) agreed on Saturday (March 11) to resume peace talks in April and June this year, as both parties also agreed to “forge an interim bilateral ceasefire agreement” so that the talks could proceed. In a statement signed by the members of both parties’ negotiating panels in Utrecth, The Netherlands, the government and the NDF […]
“I am very sorry. We have failed,” says Duterte to Germany as he vows to hunt down Abu Sayyaf
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday (February 28) expressed his apologies to the German government and to the whole German nation a day after the confimation on the beheading of one of its nationals, Jurgen Kantner, by the terrorist group, Abu Sayyaf. At the same time, he reiterated the Philippine government’s policy not to give in to the ransom demands of the terrorist group who claims to be linked to the Islamic […]
Philippine communist leader seeks renewed peace talks
MANILA, Philippines (AFP) — The leader of the Philippines’ communist insurgency has called on President Rodrigo Duterte to revive collapsed peace talks as his rebels launched new attacks. On Saturday, Duterte angrily scrapped talks with communist insurgents aimed at ending their decades-long conflict after both the government and the rebels called off unilateral ceasefires. “Even if the armed conflict between the armed forces of the two parties has resumed, peace negotiations can and must […]
Peace adviser Dureza recommends continuation of ceasefire with NPA rebels
(Eagle News) – The Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said the Philippine government is “dismayed” with the announcement of the New People’s Army (NPA) to withdraw the unilateral ceasefire effective February 10. The announcement was made by NPA spokesperson “Ka Oris” Madlos on Wednesday morning, February 1. Dureza rued that “this cancellation came just after some progress were made in the 3rd round of peace talks in Rome where negotiating panels […]
Abducted South Korean captain and Filipino crew member, released
JOLO, Philippines (AFP) — A South Korean captain and a Filipino crewman abducted by suspected Islamist militants in the southern Philippines three months ago were released on Saturday, the presidential peace adviser said. Jesus Dureza, a senior aide to President Rodrigo Duterte, fetched the two hostages in Sulu, a remote archipelago known as a militant hideout, and brought them to Davao, a city about 600 kilometres (370 miles) from Sulu. “We were almost hopeless […]
Three Indonesian sailors released by Abu Sayyaf undergo debriefing
JOLO, Philippines (AFP)– Islamic militants in the Philippines have freed three Indonesian sailors abducted at sea, officials said, in the latest release by the Abu Sayyaf group after a kidnapping spree in the restive south. The Abu Sayyaf handed over the three men on Jolo island to a major rebel group which then released them to authorities on Sunday, government peace negotiator Jesus Dureza said. “The turnover was smooth and now the three will […]
Ex-hostage tells of terror as friends beheaded in Philippines
INDANAN, Philippines (AFP) — A Norwegian former hostage on Sunday described his psychological torture as he heard his friends being beheaded by Islamic militants during a year-long captivity in the southern Philippines. A heavily bearded and gaunt Kjartan Sekkingstad, who was released on Saturday by the feared Abu Sayyaf group, also said he narrowly survived military attacks against his captors, with a bullet piercing his backpack. “Basically, I’ve been treated like a slave, carrying their stuff […]
President Duterte restores ceasefire with communists
(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has restored the effects of the unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels after the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines declared a seven-day ceasefire following the government’s decision to release detained communist leaders. The announcement came ahead of the resumption of peace negotiations with the CPP-National Democratic Front on August 22 set in Oslo, Norway. At least 17 rebel leaders, including Wilma and Benito Tiamzon, are […]





