Philippines chief negotiator resigns

June 27, 2013

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MANILA, Philippines – Alexander Padilla, the government's chief peace negotiator with Communist insurgents, announced his resignation Tuesday (June 25th), telling AFP, "The talks have been at an impasse for some time now and maybe it needs a new face, a new plan."

Chief Philippine government negotiator Alexander Padilla speaks at a February 2011 news conference in Manila. Frustrated by the stalled talks between the government and Communist rebels, Padilla tendered his resignation Tuesday (June 25th), saying maybe a "new face and new plan" can revive the dialogue. [Jay Directo/AFP]

In April, Padilla conceded that talks with the National Democratic Front had failed, and that hopes of achieving peace before President Benigno Aquino steps down in 2016 had been dashed.

The most recent stumbling block was a demand by the rebels to free their jailed colleagues, which the government rejected.

With talks stalled, the insurgents' guerrilla arm, the New People's Army, has been ramping up attacks on targets on the southern island of Mindanao.

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