By GERALD LEIGH LAQUINON Correspondent  A DETAINED communist leader in northern Mindanao yesterday expressed hopes that he and other political detainees would be freed from prison when Mayor Rodrigo Duterte assumes as the 16th President to pave the way for the resumption of the stalled peace talks. At the Misamis Oriental Provincial Jail, Alfredo Mapano, also known as Ka Paris, is optimistic after Duterte hinted, following Monday’s vote, that he is ready to release some jailed rebels and restart peace negotiations with the Communist Party. “Duterte is much better than the past presidents when it comes to peace talks and building positive relationship with various rebel groups. He is open to various agendas that are beneficial to the country,” said Mapano. “It is just right,” said Mapano, “to release political detainees” like him since the criminal charges filed against them are allegedly mostly trumped up and “of without any solid evidence.” He also said the amnesty is not a new thing since it was granted to rebel leaders during the administrations of Corazon Aquino and Fidel Ramos. “Hopefully, Digong is serious on this matter since the resumption of peace talks is a helpful venue to discourse about and address the root causes of the armed revolution in the first place,” said Mapano. The next substantive agenda of peace talks is on socio-economic reforms which is said to be its meat since it will wrangle on genuine land reform and national industrialization that will affect the people. President Aquino dropped the peace process in 2013, accusing rebels of insincerity in efforts to achieve a political settlement. Aquino has rejected the call to release political detainees despite the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (Jasig). But Mapano said the release of political prisoners, especially the peace consultants of the National Democratic Front, is not a demand but rather an obligation on the part of the government of the Philippines based on the mutually signed Jasig. “You don’t talk of peace with someone if your safety is not guaranteed, and yet, despite the agreement, many of our consultants were jailed under Aquino,” said Mapano. Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Ma. Sison has already congratulated Duterte on his win and called for the resumption of peace talks, a ceasefire, the release of political prisoners, and the “arrest and trial of Aquino.” Duterte and Sison are expected to meet each other in Europe before the former resumes office on June 30.