Duterte sees light at end of tunnel in talks with Communists
President Rodrigo Duterte said on Wednesday that he sees light in the peace process with communist rebels as his government agreed to reconstitute a list of about 140 leftist rebels who will be granted with safe conduct pass while the peace process is ongoing.
In a speech in a military camp in Tanay, Rizal, Duterte said ;"We might (reach a peace agreement) and there are indications I might succeed."
Peace talks are taking place in Oslo, Norway between the Philippine government and the communist rebels..
On the second day of talks, both parties have agreed on three major issues, including reconstitution of the Joint Agreement on Security and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG) list. This will allow the consultants “to participate in the peace process," the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process said in a statement.
The list would contain names of 54 consultants who are classified as "publicly-known" and "assumed names" of 87 guerilla leaders who are still underground but involved in the consultation for the peace process, OPAPP said.
The JASIG list was the subject of contention during the previous administration and one of the main reasons the peace process bogged down.
The diskette, which contained the list of the leftist rebels granted with the safe conduct passes and was placed in an escrow under the supervision of a third party, was destroyed.
Peace talks were stalled since the government and the NDF last faced with each other on the negotiating table in February 2011 Celerina Monte/DMS.
