Reds declare holiday truce

CITY OF ILAGAN—Communist rebels have declared a 12-day unilateral ceasefire for the Christmas and New Year holidays to enable Filipinos to enjoy the Yuletide season.

“This ceasefire order is being issued in solidarity with the Filipino people’s traditional celebrations of Christmas and New Year holidays, ” the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said in a statement.

In line with the ceasefire declaration, the CPP ordered all its guerrilla units to halt offensive operations against military targets and businesses from construction and mines to plantations.

“This will also enable the revolutionary forces to carry out mass assemblies and public demonstrations to mark the 47th anniversary of the CPP and celebrate revolutionary victories of the past year,” the CPP said.

The unilateral cessation of hostilities will run from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3, rebel chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni said in a statement on the rebels’ website, https://www.ndfp.org.

Jalandoni said the rebels hoped the government would respond and declare its own truce, and view the rebel gesture as a basis to resume on-again, off-again, peace talks, brokered by Norway. The two sides had been negotiating since 1986.

During the ceasefire, the 3,000-strong New People’s Army, the armed wing of the communist party, would cease and desist from carrying out operations against the military, Philippine National Police and other government paramilitary and armed groups.

The CPP said military and police personnel would be allowed to enter NPA-controlled areas to make personal visits to family and friends over the holidays.

These soldiers and policemen “who have no serious liabilities other than their membership in their armed units, would not be subjected to rebel arrest or punitive actions, ” the CPP said.

“Active-defense operations shall be undertaken only in the face of clear and imminent danger and actual armed attack by the enemy forces,” the CPP statement said.

However, the military called on the communist rebels to strictly abide by their ceasefire.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said it would carry out operations against threat groups until the government announces its own traditional ceasefire as a sign of respect for the Christmas season.

“We hope that the CPP, and their armed unit the New People’s Army, will strictly abide by this self-declared ceasefire and will live up to their promise of nonviolent and peaceful holidays,” said Col. Restituto Padilla, military spokesperson.

The AFP issued the statement Tuesday in reaction to the CPP’s announcement of a unilateral ceasefire.

“There have been instances in the past that the ceasefire has been violated and, although they have been accusing us, many of these are also a violation of their own side,” Padilla said.

He said recommendations have been made for the government’s traditional holiday ceasefire, although this has yet to be approved by President Aquino, who is the AFP’s commander in chief.

The military spokesperson added that the AFP wishes for a peaceful Christmas holiday so that their soldiers can go home and be with their families.

Padilla said any kind of ceasefire once announced by the government would be respected accordingly by the country’s uniformed services.

“The AFP and PNP’s law enforcement operations and the AFP’s focused military operations against threat groups in the country will continue until the Philippine government announces a halt to them for the Christmas season,” he said.

He pointed out that it is the mandate of the AFP and PNP to carry out such operations to guarantee the security and safety of the public.

The military has a separate truce with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the largest Muslim rebel group in Mindanao. Last year, the two sides signed a peace deal to end four decades of fighting that has killed 120,000 people.

The government has rejected a ceasefire with a third group that operates in Mindanao, the small but more violent Abu Sayyaf, which has pledged allegiance to Middle East-based Islamic State. The militants are known for kidnapping, bombing and beheading hostages. Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon; Julie M. Aurelio with Marjorie T. Sia, trainee, in Manila