Sen. Leila de Lima (INQUIRER PHOTO)
Sen. Leila de Lima has called on the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) to reciprocate President Rodrigo Duterte’s unprecedented declaration of a unilateral ceasefire amid efforts to broker peace with the left and finally end one of the the world’s last remaining communist insurgencies.
“That is a laudable gesture from the President. That means that he believes that the other side will do the same, that the other side will be in good faith also,” De Lima said in an interview Monday afternoon.
“That should be honored and the other side has to have a corresponding statement. They must also reciprocate that gesture by also announcing a ceasefire. Otherwise, that will be a problem for our security forces,” she told reporters.
Returning Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri expressed enthusiasm over Mr. Duterte’s announcement, appealing on rebels to lay down their arms.
“I salute him (President Duterte) for that. That is a very brave move. I am hoping and praying and appealing to our brothers and sisters in the communist movement fighting in the mounatins to do the same,” Zubiri said.
He cited how the insurgency has turned away tourists and stunted the development in the countryside, including his navite Bukidnon and other parts of Mindanao.
“Let’s stop the fighting. Now we have a President whose heart is for the poor. That is not lip service. He is not making this a publicity stunt,” said Zubiri.
“We really saw that the poorest of the poor shall be first in his administration. That’s what the NPA (New People’s Army, the armed wing of the communist movement) also wants, to help the poorest of the poor. We already have a President who is like that. Let us help him so that, in the soonest possible time, we will attain lasting peace,” he said.
With an emotional plea to end the protracted fighting, the President had announced in his State of the Nation Address that government would observe a unilateral ceasefire, which in effect ends its military engagement with communist rebels.
The announcement followed early efforts of the administration to resume peace talks with the NDFP, which was a commitment between the two sides in exploratory talks in June, even before Mr. Duterte formally assumed office.
The President has been inclusive of the left in his cabinet, appointing NDFP nominees to his administration.
In his first Sona, he allowed left-leaning organizations to march close to the Batasang Pambansa, a mass gathering disallowed in previous administration.