Palace won’t give to calls for halt to military operations

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang won’t give in to calls for a suspension of military and police operations in certain places for the release of Mayor Henry Dano of Lingig, Surigao del Sur, even if his wife has already called for a ceasefire so the local executive could be set free.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the situation on the ground, especially in the wake of last Monday’s rebel attacks on the facilities of three mining companies in Surigao del Norte, requires that the call for a ceasefire with the New People’s Army be carefully studied.

“We will have to ask people on the ground and also the AFP and the PNP on that suggestion. Right now, again that is being studied. Of course, we would welcome a ceasefire but the problem is with what they are doing now, we really need to study,” Lacierda said.

“We will depend on the people on the ground for that assessment. And we will see from there,” he added.

The Communist Party of the Philippines has ordered the NPA to release Dano on condition that  military and police operations be suspended in certain areas in Mindanao for “the safe and orderly release.”