President Rodrigo Duterte has changed his mind as he expressed openness on Friday to negotiate again with the communist rebels.

Duterte made the statement during the launch of Cebu Pacific's seventh  domestic hub in Cagayan de Oro City.

"I have to talk to the NPA (New People's Army) still," he said in a speech.

Duterte  mentioned the leftist rebels when he was trying to assure the people that the country is in good position, except for terrorism and illegal drug problems.

"My only problem is terrorism, which is really ISIS. The Maute was just the face...this is is an ideology. So, I'm facing that," he said.

"And there’s the drugs, which remain to be a serious problem for our country," Duterte said.

Duterte's statement regarding his decision to talk again with the Maoist group was a retraction from his pronouncement last July that he was abandoning the peace negotiation with the rebels due to their attacks.

While he declared abandoning the talks, the government has not sent a formal notice to the National Democratic Front, the negotiating arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA, for the termination of the talks. Celerina Monte/DMS