PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte had directed the government peace panel to insist the conditions he set out for the bilateral ceasefire agreement, Malacañang said on Saturday.
Duterte made the instruction as the government is set to hold another round of talks with the representatives of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), New People's Army (NPA), and National Democratic Front (NDF).
"The President has instructed the government peace panel the terms for a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the CPP/NPA/NDF," Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement, quoting Presidential Adviser on Peace Process Undersecretary Nabil Tan.
Abella noted that the conditions laid out by the President are as follows:
-There should be a clear parameters or Terms of Reference for the Ceasefire
-The government shall not recognize any territorial claims of the CPP/NPA/NDF
-The CPP/NPA/NDF should cease the collection of revolutionary tax and the conducr of extortion and extraction and arson
-The CPP/NPA/NDF shall release all prisoners
Duterte had refused to declare an interim ceasefire with the communist rebels ahead of scheduled peace dialogue between the government and communist leaders.
Government chief peace negotiator Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III on Friday said the President's instruction was to secure a bilateral ceasefire deal with the communists.
This had triggered New Democratic Front (NDF) chairperson Fidel Agcaoili to also withdraw the communist party's plan to end hostilities with state forces.
The government peace panel and the NDF consultants would resume peace negotiations in Noordwijk, Netherlands on April 2 to 6.
Socioeconomic reforms and bilateral ceasefire agreement are among the issues that will be discussed at the resumption of talks.
The next peace dialogue was scheduled in June. (VoxPop Philippines)
