Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, head of the government peace panel negotiating with the National Democratic Front, admitted Thursday he was saddened the peace process with the communist rebels had to be terminated.

But Bello said he was not losing hope that later on peace talks would resume with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-NDF.

"Well, honestly, I’m sad because the legacy that the President (Rodrigo Duterte) is thinkng for our country is a just, inclusive and lasting peace," he said.

Bello said what happened in the peace talks was "just a setback in the road to peace, one of the big humps in the road to peace."

"But I’m sure that the humps will some day disappear and we will go back to the road to peace," he added.

Bello said the government is waiting for an "enabling environment" in order for the peace talks to resume.

He said the president wants sincerity from the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Duterte has terminated the peace talks with the communist rebels due to the atrocities that they continue to commit.

He also declared the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization. Celerina Monte/DMS