No Christmas ceasefire with rebels, says AFP

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines will not push for a ceasefire with rebel groups during the Christmas season, even as the government is in “exploratory talks” of resuming peace negotiations with the communist movement, AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo said in a television interview Wednesday.

“[The ceasefire] is something that the (AFP) is not going to recommend because in the past—we are talking about historical records—every time that ceasefires are being declared, they take advantage of this to do the “four R’s,” he said, adding that the letters stand for “recruit, refurbish, regroup and reserve.”

Instead of a Christmas ceasefire, Arevalo said the military was pushing continuous operations against “terrorist groups,” even with pronouncements from President Duterte on resuming peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and National Democratic Front of the Philippines. —Melvin Gascon