MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang revealed Monday that there are calls for President Rodrigo Duterte to end the temporary ceasefire with the communist rebels after the New People’s Army (NPA) allegedly violated its own declaration of truce.
“Ang alam ko, maraming nagre-recommend na huwag nang ituloy ‘yan, pero hindi pa nagdedesisyon ang Presidente. May tatlong insidente po naman kasi na nagpapakita na walang isang salita ang CPP-NPA,” Duterte’s spokesman Harry Roque said in an online press briefing.
(As far as I know, a lot of people are recommending not to continue with the truce, but the President has yet to decide. Because there are three separate incidents that clearly show that the CPP-NPA has no word of honor.)
The government and the Communist Party of the Philippine (CPP) have separately declared a ceasefire until April 15 as the country grapples with the COVID-19 pandemic.
The CPP, in a recent statement, announced that it is extending its declaration of truce for another 15 day days or until April 30, the last day in the imposition of enhanced community quarantine in the entire Luzon.
The three incidents Roque was referring to were the reported NPA seizure of relief goods meant for residents of Eastern Samar, the alleged encounter in Rodriguez, Rizal and the hacking incident involving an indigenous tribe in Surigao.
“Parang wala pong good faith itong CPP-NPA at bagamat wala pang desisyon ang Presidente ang tanong natin: Bakit kasi nagdedeklara ng unilateral ceasefire na hindi naman nila sinusunod?” the Palace official said.
(It appears that the CPP-NPA doesn’t have any good faith, although there is no decision from the President yet, we are asking: Why are they declaring unilateral ceasefire that they themselves do not follow?)