Philippines' incoming gov't, Left agree to resume formal peace talks in July

The incoming Philippine government of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte and the country's leftist movement have agreed to hold formal peace talks in next month in Norway, a joint statement said Thursday.

Negotiators for the Philippine government and leftist National Democratic Front (NDF) said in a joint statement issued at the end of July 14-15 exploratory talks in Oslo, Norway, that they also agreed on the agenda of their formal talks in the third week of July in Oslo, Norway.

The agenda includes the release of political prisoners, the mode of interim ceasefire and the how to speed up the negotiation process, said the statement issued to the media.

The government panel will recommend to Duterte the immediate release of all leftist consultants and political prisoners "based on humanitarian grounds," the joint statement said.

The government's chief negotiator, incoming labor secretary Sylvester Bello signed for the government while NDF panel chair Luis Jalandoni signed for the rebel side.

The Front groups the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA), with other leftist organizations.

The Philippine military said the NPA has estimated 4,000 members. The rebels have been fighting the government since 1969 in one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies.

The government has been trying to forge peace with the leftist rebels since 1986 but the on-off talks have faltered many times in the past.

Duterte, who won in the May 9 elections, will assume the presidency on June 30. Endit