Philippines' Duterte ready to free communist rebels, resume
File photo of Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels attending a rally in support of the peace agreement with the government inside Camp Darapanan in Sultan Kudarat town, Philippines on Mar 27, 2014. (AFP/Ted Aljibe)
MANILA: Philippine president-elect Rodrigo Duterte may release jailed communist rebels in an effort to restart peace talks aimed at ending a decades-old insurgency that has claimed tens of thousands of lives, an aide said on Tuesday (May 10).
The aide said Duterte, set to be sworn into office on Jun 30 after a landslide election victory on Monday, signalled his readiness to discuss the release of a number of imprisoned rebels, a key factor in the breakdown of peace negotiations three years ago.
Incumbent leader Benigno Aquino ended talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines in 2013 over the rebels' demand for the unconditional release of their detained comrades that his government was unwilling to grant.
Duterte spokesman Peter Lavina said the president-elect would consider allowing exiled communist leaders to return for the talks, and review the status of "political prisoners".
Lavina suggested the new government would not be averse to releasing detained rebels so they could take part in the talks, and allow ailing ones get treatment outside of prison. "It is important to release political prisoners suffering from ailments," Lavina said.
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