Pres. Duterte willing to negotiate with rebel groups but not with bandit groups

President Rodrigo R. Duterte (Photo by Ace Morandante/Presidential Photographers Division)

MANILA—Pres. Rodrigo Duterte is willing to hold talks with rebel groups to attain peace in the country, but remained firm he would never negotiate with criminal and bandit groups.

“As I talk to the communists (CPP-NPA-NDF), I will also talk to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front. Not Abu Sayyaf. I will not talk to criminals, only with those idealogy I understand,” Pres. Duterte said in Filipino during his visit to Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) headquarters at Camp Guillermo Nakar, Lucena, Quezon.

In his State of the Nation Address last Monday, Pres. Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with the New People’s Army-Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front and also expressed his willingness to dialogue with the MILF and MNLF.

He also called on the military to crush the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group, as he vowed to provide them all the support to eliminate the bandit group.

Duterte also urged the troopers to do their jobs well, saying he will not abandon them in case they get into trouble doing their sworn duties, especially with their new anti-drug missions.

“We cannot hand over to the next generation the illegal drugs problem,” he said.

For his part, Armed Forces chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya said the military is one with the President in giving peace a chance.

“The President said that there is no better way to achieve this but to talk,” he said.