COMMUNIST rebels on Friday branded efforts by the Duterte administration to pursue local peace talks as a “waste of time” amid calls by the President for leftists to surrender. “The Duterte regime is wasting time and the people’s money in setting-up these useless local peace committees which will go nowhere and achieve nothing,” the group added. This development came after presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte recently created a local peace committee supposedly to negotiate with local forces of the New People’s Army [NPA]. Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana expressed support for the President’s latest call for NPA rebels to lay down their arms. Among issues raised by the surrendering rebels were poor government response, land grabbing, and lack of employment opportunities.

Source: The Standard November 03, 2017 14:26 UTC