Awaiting truce order, NPA on the defense

DAVAO CITY—Even after President Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels on Monday, the New People’s Army (NPA) on Tuesday afternoon ordered all its units to maintain an active defense mode.

Jorge Madlos, or “Ka Oris,” the recently designated spokesperson of the NPA National Operational Command, said this was only their initial response to Mr. Duterte’s ceasefire declaration.

“Under the direction of the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines], the National Operational Command of the NPA orders all territorial and unit commands, including all units of people’s militias, to stay on active defense mode as we welcome the unilateral ceasefire declaration by GRP President Rodrigo Duterte and await its operational details,” Madlos said. GRP stands for Government Republic of the Philippines.

Madlos said the order would be in force while they await a reciprocal ceasefire declaration from the communist umbrella group National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).

“By staying on active defense mode, the NPA prepares for a reciprocal unilateral ceasefire declaration by the CPP and NDFP to be issued soon to boost the coming peace talks. An exchange of unilateral ceasefire declarations will be one of the first items in the resumption of the NDFP-GRP peace talks scheduled for August 20 to 27 with the aim of making these unilateral declarations effective,” Madlos said.

The NPA, however, would closely monitor the government’s observance of Duterte’s ceasefire order, he said.

“The NPA and all revolutionary forces will closely observe how President Duterte’s declaration is carried out by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and whether there will be a clear termination of military operations being carried out under the US-designed Oplan Bayanihan counter-insurgency war of suppression,” Madlos said.

He said the NPA had received reports of military units still in communities around the country a day after the ceasefire declaration.

“As of this morning, reports from the field indicated that AFP units remained in communities and had yet to withdraw in Isabela, Cagayan, Bulacan, Quezon, Batangas, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Samar, Surigao, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and other provinces,” Madlos said.

“In light of the GRP ceasefire declaration, the people seek the immediate withdrawal of troops who have been conducting psywar and surveillance operations in communities and reconnaissance and search-and-destroy operations in guerrilla zones and bases of the NPA,” he added.