Remulla sees localized peace talks with rebels

Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said on Tuesday that he believes that the government will have localized peace talks with rebels instead of dealing with a ''central authority.''

"This is the direction that I see. That’s what I see on the horizon. That can still change, but the way I see it, it’s going to be localized," Remulla said in a media briefing.

"Well localized in the sense that all of these groups will be dealt with on a local basis, whether it’s a region, a province, or a city, then it will be looked upon in that manner," he said.

"We don’t recognize any central authority that we have to deal with," he added.

In his second State of the Nation Address on Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he would issue a proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees.

''We have incorporated capacity-building and social protection into our reintegration programs to guarantee full decommissioning of former combatants. Through community development and livelihood programs, the Barangay Development and Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Programs have been effective in addressing the root cause of conflict in the countryside,'' Marcos said.

''To complete this reintegration process, I will issue a proclamation granting amnesty to rebel returnees, and I ask Congress to support me in this endeavor,'' he added.  — VBL, GMA Integrated News