With this, Basilan Bishop Martin Jumoad acknowledged the decision of President Duterte for his sincerity in offering peace to the rebels, specifically to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
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The CPP said it was willing to declare the ceasefire in support of the peace negations with the government which is due to resume in Oslo on August 20-27, Xinhua news agency cited a statement as saying.
Duterte has been making peace overtures to the Front since he started to campaign for this year’s presidential election.
“A unilateral gov[ernmen]t ceasefire declaration, no matter how good the intention of the President, will not amount to much if the mode of implementation is questionable or if the AFP brazenly defies it in the first place”, his statement added.
President Duterte lifted the unilateral ceasefire after the CPP failed to reciprocate its ceasefire declaration on a deadline set by the President.
July 28 – President Duterte demanded the CPP-NPA-NDF to explain why the ambush happened. A Cafgu was killed and two others were wounded.
He also reaffirmed his willingness to release political detainees – particularly those who contribute to negotiations – including Benito Tiamzon and Wilma Austria, a couple arrested in Cebu City in 2014 who are considered top-level CPP officers.
I am asking you: are you ready to declare a ceasefire or not? Let’s go back to fighting.
The NPA, the armed front of the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front, has been waging war against the government for over four decades.
He said this would take effect “only upon reciprocation by the [government] or [President] Duterte and upon the fulfillment of certain considerations, like ensuring ceasefire by the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police) and their armed auxiliaries and the release of all political prisoners through amnesty”.
“All offices/units must be on high alert and continue to discharge their normal mandate to neutralise all threats to national security, protect the citizenry, to enforce the law and maintain peace in all areas of responsibility”, Dela Rosa ordered.
“We may work out a negotiated truce with the communists”, said Jesus Dureza, presidential peace adviser.
Dureza said in a statement Sunday that the CPP move, albeit delayed,”is a welcome development”.
Still, the CPP said it “has long expressed willingness to engage in a ceasefire for as long as there are peace negotiations”.
Dureza said he welcomed a statement from rebel leader Jose Maria Siso, who was interviewed on local television hours after Duterte withdrew the ceasefire, saying the communists had also meant to impose a truce but it was overtaken by events. The next day, he called on the NDF to issue is own unilateral ceasefire and gave a deadline: July 30, 5 pm.
“That Malacañang’s announcement withdrawing the ceasefire declaration was made at around 7:30 p.m. lacks circumspect to say the least”, it said.
“The newly-elected president is too volatile”, Sison, speaking in Filipino, told ABS-CBN News. He did not identify them, though.
Duterte flew to Davao del Norte on Friday to attend the slain militiaman’s wake.
He issued the ultimatum after the rebels ambushed a group of paramilitary in southern province of Davao del Norte two days after he declared the unilateral suspension of offensive military operations during his first State of the Nation Address. “Not a single AFP command ordered its troops withdrawn back to their barracks”, it said.
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The CPP said the ambush was “part of [the NPA’s] active defense in the face of an imminent armed encounter” with government troops.
