Manila: The Philippine government said it remains open to negotiations with insurgents while at the same time saying that a demand for a “coalition government” is not a subject for the parlays.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza said that aside from rejecting any possibility of working with the communist through the establishment of a “coalition government” the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is open to resuming talks on certain conditions.

The conditions include that “there will be a stop in the collection of the so-called revolutionary tax, the venue of the talks will be in the Philippines and that there will be a ceasefire agreement in which armed members of the New Peoples’ Army (NPA) are encamped in designated areas,” Dureza said.

It can be recalled that last June 21, Duterte ordered the suspension of so-called “back channel” (informal talks) and a three-month review of all previously signed agreements with the insurgents, namely the Communist Party of the Philippines, the National Democratic Front and the NPA (CPP-NDF-NPA).

Dureza said that while the government awaits the CPP-NPA-NDF’s response, “localised” or individual or group-level negotiations will continue.

The presidential peace adviser says this “way forward” in the stalled peace talks was decided following consultations with various officials during the command conference convened by the on Wednesday in Malacañang.

“The President also expressed his wish that Norway continues as facilitator in the event peace talks are resumed,” said Dureza.

Marine Col. Edgard Arevalo, spokesman for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the military supports the plan for localised peace negotiations with the communists through the local government units.

“The mechanism of localised peace talks is that the AFP won’t speak. It would be the role of the local government units to negotiate with the rebels and we will only provide security and ensuring the safety of those who would like to surrender,” Arevalo said.

The on-and-off peace negotiations between the Philippine government has been taking place since the 1990s when the then administration of President Fidel Ramos agreed to some demands of the communists.

These demands include providing immunity from arrests for insurgent peace negotiators.

When he assumed the presidency in mid-2016, among the first moves by Duterte was to restart peace negotiations with the insurgents.

But while the rebels said that they to achieve a negotiated settlement to end the nearly half-a century old insurgency conflict, insurgents continue with armed attacks, targeting not just government security forces, but companies doing business in the country.