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MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine government will request that peace talks with communist rebels shift from Europe to the Philippines and the insurgents are encircled by the negotiations to peacefully settle one of Asia's longest-raging insurgencies. 19659002] Presidential adviser Jesus Dureza said Thursday that New People's Army would be asked to stop collecting so-called "revolutionary tax" from companies and demanding to be part of a future coalition government.
President Rodrigo Duterte's conditions were finalized in Wednesday night. They are seen to be in danger by the guerrillas, who fear that they would hold talks in Manila would be exposing them – including their Europe-exiled leaders – to military surveillance and harassment.
The low-level, rural-based rebellion, which has raged since 1969, has left about 40,000 fighters and dead civilians, hampered security and economic development in the impoverished countryside for nearly half a century. The military estimates that about 3,900 Marxist insurgents continues to wage the insurgency.
"The doors for the resumption of peace talks … are still open," Dureza said in a statement.
Dureza said the president still wishes Norway to continue the conversation, but added that "in the meantime, localized peace arrangements may be pursued by the local government units with the insurgents."
When he took power in 2016, Duterte resumed peace talks with the rebels The last year to protest continues guerrilla attacks on troops. He also signed an order declaring the rebel group a terrorist organization, a label the insurgents have opposed. The United States has also designated the rebels as terrorists
After preliminary talks, both sides agreed to a new temporary cease-fire on June 21, with peace talks to resume a few days later in Norway, which has been brokering the decades -long negotiations. Aimed at delaying the resumption of indefinitely to allow public consultations, antagonizing the guerrillas.
Last week, communist rebel leader Jose Maria Sison, who founded the Communist Party of the Philippines and is based in the Netherlands, said the insurgents can no longer hold peace talks with Duterte 's administration and it is better to help you and negotiate with your successor. Other rebels, however, said that Sison's recommendation would still be to be approved by other guerrilla leaders.
The volatile Philippine president shrugged off Sison's threat and said he was ready to continue fighting the insurgents. "If they're not willing to talk to me, that's fine." Anyway, we've been there for 50 years, "Duterte told reporters.
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