Philippines ready to amend constitution to forge peace with rebels

The Philippine government said on Monday it is willing to amend the constitution to lure the insurgents into signing a peace pact.

Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace process, said in his remarks during a peace consultation meeting in Davao City, that the constitution is a "stumbling block' in the ongoing government efforts to forge peace with the communist and Muslim rebels.

"If you really look up what (the rebels) aspire for, you have to open up our constitution to be able to accommodate them. That is the reality," Dureza said.

The government is talking peace with communist rebels, and the two Muslim groups - the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).

Dureza said all agreements previously signed with the major rebel groups in the past made no reference to the constitution. "We always refer to the international laws and protocols," he said.

As government peace negotiators, Dureza said they are forced to negotiate within the confines of the constitutions in order to allow both parties to continue working on a final peace settlement despite their opposing views and ideologies.

Duterte, who assumed office on in June this year, wants to sign peace pacts with the three decades-old rebels groups - the communist rebels, MILF and MNLF. Endit