President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Philippine National
Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to avoid hostile
actions or going into antagonistic behavior against communist insurgents as he
joined the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-National Democratic
Front-New People’s Army (CPP-NDF-NPA) in seeking peace for the country.
Officially declaring ceasefire with the communist insurgents
effective 11:30 on Wednesday night, the President asked the people in
government and all security forces to be friendly with the forces of the
revolutionary group and the CPP in the meantime that there is a ceasefire
because of the ongoing peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway.
“Not because we have to be extra friendly…forget in the
meantime even for a short period…and hope it would go for a long long period
for a peaceful resolution of the communist rebellion,” said Mr. Duterte, who
made the announcement in a press briefing outside of Ahfat restaurant in
Victoria Plaza here on late Wednesday night.
The President highlighted the importance of his decision to
declare a ceasefire which is mainly based on a consensus of all the commanding
generals of the AFP, including Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that he made
the other day.
“This is important to be transmitted to all,” he said. He
further asked the government forces not to get offended by his decision.
“As president my main task is to seek peace for my country.
I am not a president who would enjoy waging war against citizens of this
republic. It pains me to see people dying for an ideology. Pwede naman pala
mapag-usapan ng mapayapa (That we can talk about this peacefully). Just like
now,” he emphasized.
The President expressed regret that so many lives on both
sides - the government and insurgents were lost in the 45-year struggle for
ideology yet they could end up on the peace table, which he described as a
significant event.
Mr. Duterte said had peace negotiations taken place a long
time ago, the money for the anti-insurgency war could have been used for other
concerns like housing for families living in slum areas.
“So that is my plea to everybody to the communist and
sundalo (soldiers) to understand that there is always a time for everything. We
cannot be at war at all times,” he added.
Meanwhile, the President also expressed his commitment to
honor his promise to the Moro people on the Bangsamoro peace agreement. He
appealed to them to lessen hatred of war.
“I am appealing to Moro brothers and sisters the same
thing…di na tayo mag away (Let’s not fight),” he said. But he promised that the
Moro people’s request would be embedded in the Constitution.
The President, however, asked Moro leaders to set aside the
unconstitutional issues in the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) to avoid any
conflict. “No court, no litigation, no nothing. In the fullness of God’s time
we’ll have a successful talk,” he added.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=917123
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