CPP to hold national rallies on December 26

From the Manila Bulletin  (Dec 15): CPP to hold national rallies on December 26

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) will hold nationwide peace rallies on Dec. 26 to mark the party’s 48th anniversary and to press the administration of President Duterte to fulfill its promise of peace.

In a statement, the communists said that a national assembly will be held in a guerrilla zone here while mass demonstrations will be held across the country.

The statement denounced the administration’s failure to fulfill its promise to release political prisoners and the deployment of combat troops in rural communities despite having ordered a ceasefire.

“The party urges all sectors of society desirous of a just and lasting peace to join and support these demonstrations. Organize peace marches and caravans to press the Duterte regime to fulfill its peace vows and comply with agreements, particularly, the demand to free all political prisoners and to terminate or suspend Oplan Bayanihan operations,” the statement said.

The CPP also encouraged representatives from government (GPH) to attend the rallies “to hear for themselves the people’s outcry for peace.”

In a press conference on Tuesday, GPHw panel member Antonio Arellano said that they are working on the release of the political prisoners but it will take time due to the judicial process.

He said that priority for release are the sickly and the elderly detainees.

“Duterte has capriciously changed his mind and has declared that no political prisoner will be released until a bilateral ceasefire agreement is signed. Displaying flexibility once more, the NDFP has offered to discuss and sign such a bilateral ceasefire agreement provided that it will take effect upon release of all political prisoners,” CPP maintained.

The CPP also scored the extrajudicial killings instigated by the Duterte administration through its war on drugs, calling this as an “anti-people and undemocratic policies.”

http://news.mb.com.ph/2016/12/15/cpp-to-hold-national-rallies-on-december-26/