MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte revealed Saturday Leftist negotiators Fidel Agcaoili and Luis Jalandoni are eyeing to return to the Philippines to meet with him.

Duterte said he will make an announcement after his trip to Singapore next week to meet regional and world leaders.

"Agcaoili and Jalandoni, I will not keep it a secret, pupunta dito, sabi nila gusto nila akong kausapin. Ang problema nila kapag nahuli sila. Sabi ko talagang huhulihin kayo," Duterte said in a speech in Palawan.

"So nagtawag ako ng cluster meeting, kasali ang mga military. So what do you think? Sabi nila, baka, baka pa lang. It’s not a very big margin there, pero baka pa lang. When I go back after Papua New Guinea and Singapore, I will make the announcement. Usap tayo ulit kasi baka pa lang."

Talks between government negotiators and communist leaders deteriorated last year over alleged continuing rebel attacks on state troops. A supposed resumption this year was halted.

Duterte had also moved to declare the CPP-NPA as a terrorist organization.