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Philippine president ready to grant amnesty to leftist rebels after laying down arms

Xinhua, July 5, 2016 Adjust font size:

Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte said Tuesday he is willing to grant amnesty to the leftist rebels if they surrender to the government.

The Duterte administration has been talking with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) for the resumption of the formal peace process, which has been stalled since 2013 under the Aquino administration.

"We can grant amnesty but they have to lay down their arms," Duterte said during the anniversary of the Philippine Air Force in northern province of Pampanga.

He said that it was good that his government has been talking with the leftist rebels.

"It's been doing well and we hope to have a firm agreement by the end of the year," Duterte said.

The president said he is ready to give safe conduct pass to some leftist leaders, such as their founding chairman Jose Maria Sison.

However, he added that he was not ready to release all the political prisoners as requested by the CPP-NPA-NDF.

The leftist rebels have been waging war against the government for over four decades. Endit