LUCENA CITY — Ceasefire orders by the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to their respective armed forces will be issued Sunday, December 22, according to exiled CPP founder Jose Maria “Joma” Sison.
“The two parties are issuing their respective ceasefire orders within the day,” Sison told the Inquirer in an online interview.
He said the ceasefire aims to serve as a “measure of goodwill and confidence-building and generate the environment favorable to the resumption of the peace negotiation” next month.
Earlier, the government and National Democratic Front of the Philippines issued a joint statement declaring their agreement to recommend to the Duterte administration and the CPP and its armed wing, the New People’s Army, the issuance of unilateral and reciprocal nationwide ceasefire effective December 23 to January 7. Delfin T. Mallari Jr.