MANILA, Philippines—Two of the country’s highest ranking defense and security officials expressed willingness to accept a resumption of peace talks with communist rebels but on condition the rebels showed sincerity.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana and National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, in statements made separately, said sincerity was key to the resumption of the talks.
“The peace talks are just an instrument,” said Lorenzana in an interview with CNN Philippines on Wednesday (Dec. 2). “It’s not an end in itself,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte last April declared he was shutting the door to the resumption of peace talks with rebels, accusing New People’s Army…
Keep on reading: Lorenzana, Esperon to Reds on return of peace talks: Show sincerity first