NPA vows to observe ceasefire but warns vs military ‘provocation’

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

DIGOS CITY, Philippines – The New People’s Army (NPA) in Southern Mindanao region vowed to strictly comply with the directive of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to cease and desist from carrying out offensive operations against elements of the military, police and paramilitary forces as part of the holiday ceasefire.

The ceasefire starts midnight December 24 and will end 11:59 p.m. of December 26.  It will again take effect midnight of Dec. 31 up to January 2, 2014.

The ceasefire will also give the rebel forces the opportunity to celebrate the CPP’s 45th year anniversary inside the guerrilla zones and guerrilla bases in the countryside on Dec. 26, according to Rubi del Mundo, spokesperson of the NPA Southern Mindanao, in an emailed statement.

Del Mundo, however, said that prior to the government’s declaration of ceasefire on Dec. 21, government soldiers have been deployed in various areas in Southern Mindanao.

“These actions are provocative and raise the risk of armed engagements with the NPA,” Del Mundo warned.

“All NPA fighting units and the people’s militia are thus enjoined to be ever vigilant against hostile actions of enemy armed forces— from encroachment, surveillance to blatant operations — and should remain on active defensive mode, until they are forced to engage with the enemy in self-defense if the latter continues its offensive operations,” the regional NPA spokesperson added.

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