Saturday, August 20, 2016

EMC suspends military operations vs. rebels in wake of ceasefire

From the Philippine News Agency (Aug 21): EMC suspends military operations vs. rebels in wake of ceasefire

The Davao City-based Eastern Mindanao Command (EMC) has directed all its units to suspend its military operations against rebel forces in wake of the unilateral ceasefire order by President Rodrigo Roa Duterte effective Sunday.

"Along with the expectation of peace loving community, EMC is hopeful that this restoration of Ceasefire by the President will be matched with the same sincerity by the other party, so that the sense of security, stability and progress will be enjoyed by our people," EMC public affairs office chief Major Ezra Balagtey said.

He also assures the public that ceasefire guidelines will be followed by to the letter.

"The Declaration of Restoration of Ceasefire by the President and Commander-in-Chief (CinC) Rodrigo Duterte that takes effect midnight of 20 August 2016, and his clear instructions for the AFP to restore its erstwhile operational guidelines will be communicated forthwith to all AFP units on the ground by all means possible as we speak," AFP public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said earlier.

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.

President Duterte, in 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=915866

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