(UPDATED) President Rodrigo Duterte has said he would end the days-old truce with communist rebels if they do not reciprocate the government's unilateral declaration by 5 pm, July 30
COMMUNIST INSURGENCY. The Duterte administration has vowed to end the decades-long communist insurgency through peace negotiations. Rappler file photo
President Rodrigo Duterte's deadline on a reciprocal ceasefire declaration from communist rebels lapsed late Saturday afternoon, July 30, without any action from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
The National Democratic Front (NDF), the CPP's political arm engaged in peace negotiations with the government, said the CPP will reciprocate the government ceasefire but only after it completes its investigation on the incident that prompted the President's deadline.
NDF spokesman Fidel Agcaoili relayed this in a text message to Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, who chairs the government peace panel.
"Please give us time to finish our investigation of the incident as reported by concerned NPA command. The CPP will reciprocate the President's ceasefire declaration," Agcaoili said in his message to Bello, which the latter shared with Rappler.
Duterte had warned that he would end the government's unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels if the deadline was not met. Malacañang has not issued any statement on the matter as of posting.
On Friday afternoon, Duterte said the CPP should reciprocate the government’s unilateral ceasefire declaration by 5 pm on July 30. This was prompted by the New People's Army attack on government militias in Davao del Norte that killed one and hurt 4 others from the government side.
The President personally condoled with the family of slain Citizen Armed Force Geographical Units (CAFGU) member Panggong Kamonad at the headquarters of the 60th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Doña Andrea, Asuncion, Davao del Norte on Friday.
Duterte initially gave the CPP until Thursday midnight, July 29, to explain the NPA ambush just two days after he announced the government's unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels in his State of the Nation Address on Monday, July 25.
'Be patient'
While CPP founder Jose Maria Sison had said that his side would reciprocate the government ceasefire, he had also explained that may not be done quickly.
Hours after Duterte set the Saturday deadline, Sison said the new Philippine president "should be patient and not expect quick surrenders from highly principled and experienced revolutionaries who have a growing mass base against the rotten ruling system of big compradors and landlords."
“It took at least 3 days for the Duterte government to make clear what is the content of its unilateral ceasefire order. The CPP and NDFP should be given enough time to study the implications and consequences of the GRP ceasefire order and what will soon be the unilateral ceasefire order," Sison said on Friday night.
He had also demanded that CPP leaders punish those responsible for the attack. But on the same day Duterte set the deadline for the CPP's ceasefire declaration to Saturday afternoon, the NPA blamed the military, claiming it was only defending itself from government troops who were allegedly ignoring the government-declared truce with rebels.
Troop pullout despite NPA attack
Hours before the deadline set by the President on the CPP, the Philippine military announced that it had withdrawn an elite unit from combat operations that day.
Colonel Edgard Arevalo, Deputy Commander of the Civil Relations Service of the AFP, said in a statement on Saturday that the Philippine Army had completed the pullout of the 2nd Special Forces Battalion from San Miguel, Surigao del Sur, on orders of AFP chief General Ricardo Visaya.
"[This] manifests the AFP's resolve to comply with the directive of the President to step back from the operational area where there are likely armed engagement between government security forces and members of the CPP-NPA-NDF," Arevalo said.
The troop pullout includes a company of Scout Rangers from the area of combat operations of the 4th Infantry Division.
Arevalo noted that the troop pullout had been carried out even after the NPA attack on CAFGU units "that were also pulling out from forward deployment in Brgy. Gupitan, Kapalong, Davao del Norte."
"The AFP firmly believes on the primacy of peace as the road to sustainable development and enduring prosperity for our countrymen. The AFP will not renege on its commitment to the CIC that it will be a willing instrument of security and stability," he added.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/141399-duterte-ceasefire-ndf-lapses
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.