The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Saturday said
it supports all initiatives which will bring a just and lasting peace to the
nation.
"The AFP support and abide by all peace initiatives
where it has the established record of fidelity to past peace initiatives. We
just hope that the other party is as sincere and as committed to attaining a
just and lasting peace," AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard
Arevalo said.
Last Friday, the Communist Party of the Philippines and its
New People’s Army (NPA) declared a seven-day unilateral ceasefire hours after
the release of its high-ranking leaders Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, who were
named consultants to peace talks scheduled Aug. 22 to 26 in Oslo, Norway.
The rebel ceasefire will take effect 12:01 a.m. of Aug. 21
until 11:59 p.m. of Aug. 27.
"We defer further comment on their declaration of
ceasefire which is yet to effect 12:01 a.m. of 21 August yet and in the
pendency of an official statement from the CinC (Commander-in-Chief)and Pres.
Rodrigo Duterte or from Sec. Jesus Dureza," Arevalo added.
Meanwhile, he said AFP chief-of-staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya
will be issuing appropriate instructions to all field units based from any
directives that may be issued by the Department of National Defense pursuant to
the would-be guidance of the Commander-in-Chief.
"We call on the nation to pray for, support, and rally
behind this quest for lasting peace, unification and healing of our country as
envisioned by President Rodrigo Duterte," Arevalo said.
Duterte, on his first State-of-the-Nation Address last July
25, declared a unilateral ceasefire against the rebels as a sign of goodwill.
But he was forced to lift it five days later after
unprovoked NPA attacks against militiamen in Compostela Valley killed one and
wounded four others last July 27 and failure of the rebels to declare their own
version of the government ceasefire.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=915756
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