Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte at a press conference in Manila (Source: AFP/VNA)Hanoi (VNA) - The Philippine government announced that it will not participatein the fifth round of peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which isscheduled to be held in the Netherlands later this month.
Speakingwith reporters on May 27, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process JesusDureza said the Philippine government will not take part in the scheduled fifthround of peace negotiations with the NDFP – the political force of theleft-wing insurgent group, until there is an "enabling environment"to proceed with the talks to end Asia's longest-running insurgency.
Durezaalso cited the attacks by the New People's Army (NPA) – the armed force of theleft-wing insurgent group and the latest order of the group to increase itsattacks amid President Duterte's declaration of martial law in Mindanao in thesouth of the country.
ThePhilippine government and the rebels signed "an agreement on interim jointceasefire" during their April's peace talks in the Netherlands.
However,the government accused the NPA of attacking a food company, torching someequipment and disarming security guards in Mindanao on April 29.
NDFPnegotiating panel senior adviser Luis Jalandoni said that it had receivednotice from the government about the cancellation.
Thegovernment and the group initially planned to resume peace talks from May 27 toJune 1 in the town of Noordwijk in the Netherlands.
Norwayis the mediator of the formal peace negotiations between the Philippine governmentand the insurgent group since 2001.
Meanwhile,Philippine security forces have stepped up air raids in the city of Marawi onMindanao island.
It was the first time the Philippine army had used strong fire-power in Marawias intelligence sources said Isnilon Hapilon, a commander of the Abu Sayyaf group and leader of abranch of self-claimed Islamic State (IS) in the Philippines, was hiding in thecity.
Accordingto the Philippine army, Islamic militants holed up in residential, governmentalbuildings and other places and may have taken about 15 hostages.
Theviolence in the city erupted on May 23, killing at least 13 soldiers, twopolice officers, two civilians and 31 gunmen.
Thecity of Marawi has about 200,000 people, but thousands of them have evacuateddue to recent unrest.-VNA
