De Lima scores ‘impulsiveness’ of declaring, lifting ceasefire

Senator Leila de Lima. INQUIRER PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — The unilateral ceasefire was issued as impulsively as it was taken back.

Sen. Leila de Lima said this Sunday as she explained that the government should have been more deliberate instead of rash in its decision to declare and then lift a unilateral ceasefire with the communist movement.

“The unilateral ceasefire was impulsive as its lifting, because of  non-reciprocation. is now impulsive,” De Lima said when sought for comment.

READ: Duterte calls off truce

The government turnaround came after an initially  congenial relationship between the administration of President Duterte and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). The Chief Executive lifted his decision to declare a unilateral cessation of hostilities after the other side failed to immediately respond.

“The expectation that the NDFP will reciprocate the government’s unilateral ceasefire should have been calibrated from the start. That is why it is unilateral. It cannot be a demand to reciprocate, but simply a show of good faith. If it is a demand, it loses its unilateral nature,” said De Lima when sought for comment.

She cited the importance of reaching an agreement to declare a bilateral ceasefire, saying a unilateral declaration was always a gamble.

“The President gambled, the NDFP did not call his shot, and now we are in an unfortunate situation of one-upmanship and bruised egos. That is why peace talks are approached through deliberation and diplomacy and not impulsiveness,” De Lima said.

She called the development “very unfortunate for the peace talks,” lamenting the “display of intolerance on both sides, from the NDFP and the President.” JE/rga