President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his demand to the communists to sign a document of a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the government before releasing some 100 political prisoners.
President Rodrigo Duterte likened the peace process to playing a poker game with the release of the prisoners as his “last card”.
The recent meeting between President Rodrigo Duterte and the leaders of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines yielded positive results, said NDF peace consultant Wilma Tiamzon.
Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said they are appalled by some sectors attacking them on the delay of the release of political prisoners in the country.
Government chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III vowed to release some 50-70 political prisoners before the international human rights day on December 10, as he extended his condolences to the family of Bernabe Ocasla, one of the 400 political prisoners who recently died of a heart attack.