MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Sunday made another appeal to “revolutionaries” to “simmer down,” as he gave yet another hint that he is willing to resume talks with the country’s communist rebels.

“We are not interested in war. We appeal to revolutionaries to simmer down; we talk,” Duterte said in his speech during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Business and Investment Summit.

In previous speeches, Duterte had dismissed the possibility that peace between the government and the country’s communist rebels could be achieved within his term. He had also said his successor may be the one to hold talks with communist rebels as he is no longer inclined to engage the group.

Recently, however, he has been hinting that he is open to resume talks with the communist rebels.

In a speech early Sunday upon arriving from the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in Vietnam, Duterte said “there’s always a time to talk about peace if it’s needed.” But he still castigated the recent attacks of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the communist movement in the country.

He slammed the NPA for carrying out an ambush in Talakad, Bukidnon that left a 4-month-old baby dead.

“If you are guilty of a crime, hindi na rebel-rebelyon sa akin eh. There is no more ideology so I do not recognize the crime of rebellion,” Duterte said.

Left-leaning groups had welcomed the electoral victory of Duterte, a self-proclaimed socialist, in hopes of pursuing talks with the government and instituting social reforms anchored on their ideologies.

Peace negotiations between the government and rebel sides, however, were suspended earlier this year following a string of alleged NPA attacks against state troops.