Labor Secretary and Chief Peace Negotiator Silvestre Bello III. ROBINSON NI脩AL JR./Presidential Photo
Government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III has said the government peace panel was waiting for the 鈥渇inal instruction鈥� of President Rodrigo Duterte to send a formal letter of termination of the peace talks to the communist rebels.
鈥淲e are still waiting for the final instruction (from Duterte). To聽terminate the talks, we have to write them and inform them that we are terminating,鈥� Bello said in a chance interview in Malaca帽ang on Monday night.
鈥淚t will take effect 30 days after the receipt of the letter. Kami ang gagawa (We will write the letter) upon the instruction of the President. If he said we send a formal termination, then we would do that,鈥� he added.
READ: 鈥楤ully鈥� Duterte tells Reds: No more talks
But Bello clarified that there was no instruction yet from the President to send a letter of termination to the communist rebels.
Asked whether the President鈥檚 statement to end peace talks was just a 鈥渂luff,鈥� he said, 鈥淗indi, totoo iyon. Sabi niya ayaw na niya (Nope, he means it. He said he no longer wants to talk).鈥�
In a press briefing on Monday after his second State of the Nation, Duterte聽was asked whether his decision to end peace talks with the communist rebels was final, he said 鈥測es.鈥�
He then ordered the military to be 鈥渦nforgiving鈥� to the communist rebels amid their attacks against government forces.
READ: Duterte to military: Be unforgiving to communist rebels
鈥淚鈥檓 ordering the military and the police to be unforgiving to the communist rebels as they are very unforgiving to us,鈥� he said. IDL