Malacañang: Duterte’s possible meeting with Sison ‘not a precondition for the resumption of peace talks’

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (KING RODRIGUEZ/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

The Malacañang said on Monday that the possible one-on-one meeting of President Rodrigo Duterte with the exiled Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Joma Sison is not a precondition for the resumption of peace talks.

Duterte, who earlier terminated any peace negotiations with the Reds, said earlier in an interview that he is now open to having a private meeting with Sison outside the country.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, however, clarified that the statement of the President was not absolute, the New People’s Army (NPA) who is the armed wing of the CPP, must first humble themselves before any peace talks would take place.

“What he said was, kailangan munang magpakumbaba ng NPA [NPA has to humble themselves first] and the possibility of a one-on-one meeting was proposed by the journalist and the President said, ‘one-on-one pwede siguro.’ But that is not a precondition for the resumption of peace talks,” Roque said.

“Sabi kasi ng NPA talagang, matapos mataas ang tingin ng NPA sa kanilang mga sarili. Nandyan na rin ang usapin na gusto nila ng power sharing na imposible [The NPA said, they think high of themselves. The talks that they want power sharing is there which is impossible] So, he wants a general acknowledgement na [that] the NPA are human beings, are Filipinos, and that they respect the sovereignty of the Philippines,” he continued.

Meanwhile, Sison responds to the recent statement of the Chief executive saying that he welcomes the positive statement of Duterte.

“I welcome the positive statement of President Duterte that he would like to converse with me one on one,” Sison said. He added that Duterte’s suggestion to a one-on-one talk “is more important than his still angry words.”

[READ: Joma Sison says he is ‘willing’ to talk with Duterte]

For the record, the President tagged the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization and said that he finds the Rebels no different to the international terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS).

Duterte also released a forceful order to the military and police to shoot any armed NPA.