President Rodrigo Duterte warned on Friday the government security forces to be prepared on the threat of terrorism.

This as Duterte met in Davao City with the officials of the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front led by Al Haj Murad Ebrahim and Communist Party of the Philippines' leaders, Benito and Wilma Tiamzon.

"I'd like to warn you in the coming days..we're facing here a problem...let's be prepared for something else. It's terrorism," Duterte said in a speech during the graduation rites of the Philippine National Police-Highway Patrol Group in Davao City.

He said terrorists work in four to five people, "but it will require human intelligence."

"We can see its danger in the next two or three years. Be guarded. That's the most dangerous," the president said.

This was why he has been talking with all insurgent groups, Duterte said.

"We cannot wage war against (our) own people and (we) cannot build a government over the bones of the soldiers and the rebels," he added.

Duterte hoped the military would not get offended even if his administration has been pursuing peace talks with the Muslim and communist rebels.

He said he talked to the Tiamzon couple, whom he described as the most hard line rebels.

Duterte has been pushing for a federal form of government to address the problem in Mindanao.

His government is also pushing for a peace process with the CPP-New People's Army-National Democratic Front to end the more than four decades rebellion in the country. Celerina Monte/DMS