AFP will not bother Yuletide-bound rebels as long they are not carrying any weapons

From the Philippine News Agency (Dec 21): AFP will not bother Yuletide-bound rebels as long they are not carrying any weapons

Rebel fighters returning home to their families this Yuletide Season will be not be arrested and bothered by military as long as they arrive home without any weapons or any implements of war.

This was disclosed by Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo in an interview Thursday.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte declared a ceasefire for the Christmas holidays from December 23 to 27 and another for the New Year from December 31 to January 3.

Arevalo said the ceasefire declared by the Chief Executive is no different from the current ceasefire those implementation started on August 21.

The latter was done to facilitate the ongoing peacetalks with the New People’s Army.

”We are hoping they (rebels) will take opportunity of this season to go home and be with their loved ones,” the AFP public affairs chief said in Filipino.

However, he reminded the rebels not to bring their weapons to prevent any untoward incident.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=950313