If you want peace talks, declare ceasefire, Duterte tells communists

April 17, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday again urged communist rebels if they want to talk peace with the government to declare immediate ceasefire.

"To the NPA (New People's Army) rebels, if you want a decent negotiation, (declare) immediate ceasefire. No one will bring firearms on your camp or outside. No taxation. No burning (of equipment)," Duterte said during his campaign rally speech in Tuguegarao City, Cagayan.

"If you do not stop collecting taxes, if you do not stop waging a war. You also don't want immediate ceasefire, you want to do it slowly then we don't have anything to talk about," he added.

He asked them to stop these activities as provinces cannot develop and reiterated his invitation to Communist Party of the Philippines founder Joma Sison to go back in the Philippines.

"Stop everything, go back home Sison," Duterte said.

"I got your back. I'm not a traitor, I give you my word of honor. Let's talk," he added.

Though he is open to negotiations, Duterte said there will be no coalition government with the communists.

"You can never have even an iota of a sovereign power of the Republic of the Philippines. I am not allowed to do that. Soldier will do coup d'etat. I will die," said Duterte.

Duterte offered to the NPA rebels to kill corrupt officials rather than innocent people.

"Those corrupt, you are doing checkpoints, you kill them. That's my order," he said.

In his previous speech, Duterte said he is planning to create a five men negotiating panel consisting of military and police after terminating peace talks with rebels last 2017. Ella Dionisio/DMS