Future negotiations between government and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) should be done in the country and not in Oslo, Norway, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said yesterday.

He said the President also wanted all agreements in the restarted peace negotiations should be held in the country, Malacañang added.

“The President emphasized that this is a talk [among] Filipinos, it should be held in the Philippines,” Roque said.

“The delay in the talks with the CPP-NPA is indispensable if we are to have an agreement that will pass these tests.”

President Duterte had earlier ordered the resumption of the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

“We do not need to go abroad to talk about peace,” Roque added.

He said the money intended to pay for the cost of negotiations in Norway can be put to better use in providing for the needs of communist rebels while the peace talks are ongoing.

Roque said Mr. Duterte has not given up on the peace process, stressing that he always gives priority to negotiations with Muslim and Communist insurgents. Roque said Mr. Duterte just wanted to make sure any agreement with the CPP-NPA would be all-inclusive and pass the test of both legal and political scrutiny.

“The delay in the talks with the CPP-NPA is indispensable if we are to have an agreement that will pass these tests,” he noted.

Roque said Mr. Duterte directed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file necessary motions in court to free individuals who are expected to participate in the talks.

“Of course, there’s information that these individuals cannot be located anymore even if they did not leave the country for Oslo, Norway,” he said.

“Nonetheless, the President said he will give the process a chance,” he added.

Roque reiterated the President assured Sison about his security should he participate in the peace negotiations.

Roque added the documents released by the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) regarding the stand-down agreement supposedly agreed between government and the communist rebels does not bind the government.

“There is no stand-down agreement. There is no resumption of peace talks yet. I’m sure if the resumption of peace talks happen, that will be considered,” he noted.

Roque appealed to the Reds to refrain from preempting government in making announcements concerning the developments in the peace agreement.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana also belied claims by the CPP that Mr. Duterte ordered the postponement of the peace talks to give way to the military’s all-out offensive against the New People’s Army (NPA).

Lorenzana added that if the military wants to launch an all-out war against the NPA, then it should have recommended the termination of the peace negotiations and not postponement.

“If we want an all-out war, we would not only request for postponement, but the termination of the peace talks,” Lorenzana said.

He said Mr. Duterte decided to freeze the restart of the talks after getting a briefing from Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who is the government’s chief peace negotiator.

The briefing sought to update the President on the result of the backchanelling efforts with the NDFP.

He said the President made a decision even before hearing a security briefing from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) that recommended a three-month suspension of the talks.

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