Manila: President Rodrigo Duterte had warned communist rebels of a collapse in the peace talks a day before a presidential convoy encountered suspected insurgents in North Cotabato early on Wednesday morning, Philippine officials say.

Duterte, during a meeting at the Malacanan Palace in Manila on Tuesday, had directed the government panel negotiating with the communist umbrella, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) not to resume formal talks with the NDFP unless the latter group agrees to halt their continuing attacks against government forces.

“They [communists] really need to stop engaging the military in Mindanao if they want to continue the peace negotiations,” Duterte said while adding that the government had always dealt with the communist rebels in good faith.

On Wednesday morning, a two-vehicle convoy carrying members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG), sensing an ambush, opened fire at a group of armed men flagging down vehicles on a stretch of highway in the village of Gambudes in the mountain town of Arakan along the Davao-Arakan route.

The armed men had set up a checkpoint and were wearing military fatigues similar to those used by Philippine army personnel.

They are suspected to be members of the Communists’ armed wing, the New Peoples’ Army.

One of their vehicles was disabled in the attack.

Four PSG men were wounded in the hourlong encounter while more could have been hurt had it not been for the armour plating and bulletproof glass windows of the presidential security vehicle.

PSG spokesperson Lt Col Mike Aquino, said they have no information if there were casualties on the side of the suspected rebels.

Duterte had previously cancelled the fifth round of negotiations with the NDFP, due to continued attacks by the communists through the NPA.

The government negotiating panel, led by chief negotiator Secretary Silvestre Bello III, had been set to conduct backchannel talks with the NDFP to discuss the resumption of formal negotiations between the two groups, however, with the encounter on Wednesday morning, everything seems unclear with regards to the resumption of the talks.

Secretary Jesus Dureza, Duterte’s chief peace adviser, the resumption of formal talks would depend on the rebel group’s commitment to follow certain guidelines for a possible ceasefire deal with government.

On July 18, the NDFP and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) assailed Duterte’s moves to extend martial law in Mindanao up to December 31, 2017.

Duterte said an extension was necessary to enable government forces to defeat Muslim extremists in the island.

“This [extension of martial law] will result in worse military and police abuses,” the CPP-NDF said.

Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said the martial law extension has nothing to do with the peace process.

“To show that the CPP/NPA/NDP is truly in pursuit of peaceful coexistence, they must stand against a common enemy, which is terrorism, regardless of martial law extension,” he said.

“The Duterte administration has shown in numerous occasions its strong commitment to bring peace. It is time for the CPP/NPA/NDFP to reciprocate the government’ gestures of goodwill by ending their extortion and criminal activities and re-directing their energy to help eradicate terrorism and violent extremism in Mindanao,” Abella said.