AFP tells CPP-NPA: Explain refusal to go on prolonged ceasefire

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 23): AFP tells CPP-NPA: Explain refusal to go on prolonged ceasefire

Instead of calling Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief-of-staff Gen. Emmanuel T. Bautista proposal to go on prolonged ceasefire during the Yuletide Season moronic, the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) should give pertinent reasons to the public why it refuses to do so.

But AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Domingo Tutaan on Monday said he does not expect the rebels to honor this call as doing so would cut down their extortion activities.

"The NPA is there if there is extortion, the NPA is there if there is other criminal activities," he added.

"They would be losing a lot of money if they would do that," the AFP spokesperson stressed.

Tutaan also scored the NPA's decision to only go on a four-day ceasefire for the Christmas holidays as the Philippines celebrates the longest Christmas Season in the world.

"The CPP-NPA has said that in declaring (a four-day) ceasefire is in keeping with the Filipino tradition of observing the holiday season but the (Philippines) celebration of the Yuletide is pretty long and considered to be longest in the world," he added.

The AFP spokesperson also dismisses the CPP-NPA's claims that by laying down their arms, the masses will have no one to defend them against oppression.

"Where were they (NPA) during the (height of Supertyphoon 'Yolanda' in Nov. 8 in Eastern Visayas and the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in the Central Visayas). They were not there. They were only present when there are extortion and criminal activities," Tutaan stressed.

He added that the military, whom the rebels always accused of being anti-poor, were always in the frontlines helping the people recover from the ill-effects of these natural disasters.

Tutaan also called NPA claims that muzzling their guns will mean the surrender of the peace.

"They are (the ones) who is disrupting peace actually, so given the reasons by the CPP-NPA of not declaring a prolonged ceasefire, specifically for four days only who is now the moron, people (nationwide) clamor for peace, the people clamor for the end of armed conflict or violence, the people clamor for end of burning of construction materials due to extortion activities so that is the reason why the AFP would want to have a prolonged peace," the AFP spokesperson concluded.

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