The first day of peace talks between Philippine communist rebels and the incoming government of President-elect Rodrigo R. Duterte concluded Tuesday on an optimistic note.

Philippines Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza described the mood as “upbeat.” Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Maria Sison said he felt “elated.”

“The ultimate goal for this meeting is maybe to come up with a consensus,” Dureza told The Associated Press from the mountain-top Leysebu Hotel on the outskirts of Oslo where these preliminary talks are taking place.

With Duterte were incoming Labor secretary Silvestre Bello III and former Arroyo administration official Hernani Braganza.

Representing the left, aside from Sison, were NDF peace panel chairman Luis Jalandoni and NDF spokesman Fidel Agcaoili.

Duterte takes office on June 30, so this delegation has no authority to commit to anything officially. But its mere presence signifies a change in Manila’s approach to the rebels who have been fighting to establish a Marxist state since 1969 in one of Asia’s longest-running insurgencies.

“There are no red flags yet,” Sison told The AP. “We were engaged in some kind of opening moves, in what you might call a chess game.”

The talks involve implementing a ceasefire and an amnesty on both sides. Duterte has offered several Cabinet posts to allies of the rebels, who in turn have freed some kidnapped policemen to encourage the resumption of talks.

The Norwegian-brokered peace talks stalled early in outgoing President Aquino’s six-year term because of a dispute over the release of several rebels.

In a message on his Facebook account, Dureza said the informal talks tackled the resumption of the formal peace negotiations as well as the mechanics that would govern the discussions.

“There is evident shared optimism on both sides due to the declaration of (Duterte) to seek an early sustainable peace for the nation,” Dureza said.

He likewise said “both sides agreed that since the government participants have not yet assumed office, the consensus points – if any – will be initialed for authentication purposes at the close of the informal talks.”

These consensus points would, in turn, be “formalized soon after the Duterte government has assumed office,” Dureza said.

Source:
courtesy of MANILA BULLETIN

by AP & Rocky Nazareno

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