“Why should we go into consultations with the Filipino people with the GRP arranging, controlling them and inviting the NDFP to them?” Sison said in response to a statement made by government negotiator Hernani Braganza that the NDFP is considering their invitation to join the public consultations. He added, “In the first place, NDFP is intimately linked with the Filipino people, especially the oppressed and exploited people.”

Sison earlier told ABS-CBN News he was optimistic he could visit Manila within the year depending on the outcome of negotiations on substantive portions of the peace talks.

“Duterte is showing complete antipathy towards holding serious peace negotiations with the NDF, and merely wants to hold hostage and completely paralyze the talks,” the CPP said. The CPP said Duterte wants to use the cancellation of the agreements to resume talks with the NDF to justify his total war and advance his scheme to establish “a fascist dictatorship and impose nationwide martial law.”

Rodrigo Duterte’s presidency has been nothing short of controversial. Ever since he was elected as the 16th President of the Philippines two years ago, he has drawn criticism from activists and leaders the world over. Most recently, Duterte was condemned for forcibly kissing an overseas Filipina worker on the lips during a live event.

"It’s not negotiable," he told reporters. "No way peace talks held in the Philippines can be protected and spared from sabotage by spoilers and enemies of a genuine peace process."

Exiled communist leader Jose Maria “Joma” Sison opposed a proposal to seek a review by Congress of draft agreements between rebels and the government as a condition for formal talks to start, saying this was one of President Rodrigo Duterte’s tactics to sabotage the talks.

Tonight on #TheChiefs, CPP Founder Jose Maria Sison, National Democratic Front Peace Panel Chairman Fidel Agcaoili and Philippine Peace Center Executive Director Rey Casambre face Ed Lingao and Amy Pamintuan to talk about the pending peace talks between the CPP-NPA-NDF and the government.

The group said a GRP team led by panel member Hernani Braganza travelled to Utrect, The Netherlands on June 18 to 20 to personally explain GRP’s cancellation of the June 28 resumption of formal negotiations.