MANILA- The mother of Maute terror leaders behind the siege on Marawi City sent feelers to President Rodrigo Duterte in an attempt to initiate talks, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Thursday.

Lorenzana said Ominta Romato "Farhana" Maute tried to talk to the president but that the commander-in-chief refused at the time as the government has already suffered too many fatalities.

The official bared the information in the wake of a Reuters report on supposed botched negotiations between the president and the terror leaders in a bid to end the conflict. The talks failed as the terrorists did not show sincerity in resolving the crisis, the report said.

"I know that the President received some feelers from the mother of Maute-- si Farhana -- pero at that time, marami na kasing sundalong patay. Ang sabi niya (Duterte) 'Hindi na ako makipag-usap dahil marami na akong napatay na sundalo at pulis. There’s no need.' Sabi niya 'kailangan ituloy na natin ito.' Yun ang alam ko ah," Lorenzana said in a press briefing in Marawi City Thursday.

Farhana, believed to be the group's financier, was arrested on June 9 along with 2 other injured Maute group members at Barangay Kormatan, Masiu town.

The defense chief said he was unaware of the details of the Reuters report.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a separate briefing that "we have no verified reports" on the purported negotiation attempt.

The report released on Wednesday quoted Agakhan Sharief, a prominent Muslim leader, who said he was approached by a senior Duterte aide to use his connections with the Maute militant group's leaders to start back-channel talks.

The report added that two other Marawi sources familiar with the matter confirmed that Duterte had worked behind the scenes to hold talks with the Maute brothers, Omarkhayam and Abdullah.

The process was supposedly halted when Duterte, in a May 31 speech, declared he "will not talk to terrorists."

More than 400 people have been killed in the Marawi firefights while at least 300,000 have been displaced from the city and nearby areas.

Duterte placed Mindanao under martial rule on May 23, the same day the fighting erupted. State offensives continue a month and a half since the clashes began.

Asked if at one point the president did consider negotiating with the extremists, Lorenzana responded: "Talking to them does not mean negotiating."

"I think the policy of the government is talagang matigas yan: no negotiation with the terrorists or ransom…" he added.

Lorenzana said Duterte may have also been affected by the feelers from Farhana.

"Yung feeler na yun, it’s a mother trying to talk to the president, so medyo nabagbag yung damdamin niya (Duterte)," he added.

Earlier Thursday, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said it was unlikely that the President would try to make a deal with the Maute group.

• READ: Duterte trying to forge deal with Maute group unlikely - Esperon

Presidential Peace Adviser Secretary Jesus Dureza, on the other hand, said was not aware of such a negotiation attempt, according to Reuters.