PH suspends all backchannel talks with communist rebels

THE Philippine government has suspended all backchannel talks with communist rebels to give way to a three-month review of all signed agreements related to the peace negotiations, its negotiator said on Thursday.

In a statement, Hernani Braganza said the government team flew to Utrecht to formally communicate to the National Democratic Front (NDF) the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte to re-schedule the proposed resumption of government peace negotiations with the communist rebels.