Philippine communist rebels waging one of Asia’s longest insurgencies said on Tuesday a peace pact was not likely to be achieved before 2019, in a blow to the government’s hopes of securing a deal this year.
Ahead of fresh peace talks starting in Italy on Thursday, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines also warned that forces on the ground were urging an end to a ceasefire as they became frustrated with the government’s “broken promises”.
“The NDFP goes into the third round of formal talks in Rome determined as always to persevere with the peace talks but increasingly troubled by the other party’s sincerity,” said the communists’ chief negotiator, Fidel Agcaoili.
The communists have been waging their “national democratic revolution” since 1968 to overthrow a capitalist system that has created one of Asia’s biggest rich-poor divides.
At least 30,000 people have died in the conflict, according to the military.
