PNP halts operations against NPA starting Friday

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police on Thursday declared an 18-day holiday ceasefire with the communist New People’s Army (NPA) starting December 16.

“I have issued today a Memorandum to all Regional Directors and Directors of National Support Units, declaring a nationwide Suspension of Police Operations (SOPO) effective 12:01 a.m. of December 16, 2011, until 12:00 midnight of January 3, 2011,” PNP chief Director General Nicanor Bartolome said in a statement.

He said the ceasefire will give police and rebels to come home to their families to enjoy Christmas and New Year.

Bartolome, however, reminded all police units to “remain vigilant and to maintain a high state of operational readiness to respond to hostile actions by domestic threat groups, especially on December 26 when the local communist movement is known to stage high-profile hostilities to highlight the founding anniversary of the CPP.”

Bartolome explained that the SOPO will not cover regular law-enforcement operations of the PNP including arrests and serving of warrants, confiscation of illegal armaments, checkpoint operations and other normal security operations.

In earlier reports, President Benigno Aquino III declared a similar holiday ceasefire with the NPA.