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Commies welcome Duterte offer of cabinet positions
 [AFP] Philippine communist militants waging one of Asia's longest insurgencies said on Wednesday they would enter into peace negotiations with president-elect Rodrigo Duterte and ask him to add four of their associates to his cabinet. Duterte had offered four cabinet positions to the militants and expressed his willingness to release ailing guerrillas from prison to restart peace talks that stalled three years ago.Meanwhile, President Obama is so noble he never considers getting anything in return for releasing 'ailing' militants from prison. In fairness, the man doesn't know how... Luis Jalandoni, the insurgents' exiled chief peace negotiator said, "We applaud the plans and programs announced by president-elect Duterte. We believe these would be key factors to achieving peace." Jalandoni said the rebels were expected to shortly exchange delegation visits with Duterte's people "as part of the process for preparing the resumption of peace talks" as well as to work out terms of cooperation. Duterte on Monday welcomed plans by Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison to end nearly 30 years of exile in the Netherlands to participate in the peace talks. Sison and Jalandoni both said no guerrillas would actually serve in Duterte's cabinet before reaching a political settlement, when the insurgents hoped to cease fighting and join a coalition government. Jalandoni also said the insurgents would consider a ceasefire and would ask the Duterte government to release 543 "political prisoners." Incumbent leader Benigno Aquino ended talks with the communists in 2013 over the militant demand for the unconditional release of their detained comrades that his government would not grant. Posted by: ryuge 2016-05-20 |
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