DESPITE the atrocities the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) has committed and the government’s policy not to negotiate with terrorists, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana backed President Rodrigo Duterte’s call to hold peace talks with the bandit group but on a “limited” level.

“Yes, I do [support the peace talks]. If we have peace talks with the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines), why not the ASG?” Lorenzana told reporters in a text message on Sunday.