Gov’t declares indefinite unilateral ceasefire with CPP-NPA

The government on Saturday announced that it is reimposing its unilateral ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) ahead of the resumption of the peace talks with the communist group in Oslo, Norway.

In a press conference at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza said the ceasefire will start at 12:01 a.m. of August 21 (Sunday).

“I am pleased to announce to you that President Rodrigo Duterte has restored the effects of the unilateral ceasefire with the CPP/NPA/NDF effective 12 midnight tonight, August 21, 2016,” Dureza said.

"The duration of the ceasefire will last for as long as necessary to bring peace in the land and also in order to provide an enabling environment for the success of the peace negotiations that will start in Oslo, Norway on [August] 22," Dureza added.

Dureza and the rest of the members of the government's peace panel were expected to leave for Oslo after the press conference.

The government's declaration came after the CPP-NPA announced a seven-day ceasefire on Friday night as a sign of goodwill for the formal peace talks set on August 22 to 26.

The CCP-NPA declared the ceasefire following the release of 20 of the 22 detained NDF consultants including couple Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, chairman and secretary-general, respectively, of the CPP-NPA.

The political prisoners were released to enable them to participate in the peace talks in Norway.

For its part, the NDF ordered its armed wing NPA to release two ranking police officers in its custody in Southern Mindanao.

Restoration of guidelines

M eanwhile, Dureza explained that the operational guidelines of the first ceasefire that Duterte declared last month during his first State of the Nation Address (SONA) are restored.

“Today, the President restores the effects of that ceasefire declaration precisely at this strategic time when we are all at the onset of the formal resumption of peace talks that had previously stalled for the last four years,” Dureza said.

“The operational guidelines of the said ceasefire declaration for the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police and other security units of the government are also hereby restored,” he added.

During his SONA on July 25, Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with the CPP-NPA-NDF expecting the other camp to do the same.

He lifted the ceasefire on July 30 after the CPP-NPA-NDF failed to reciprocate his declaration within his deadline and following an ambush of government’s Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit in Davao Del Norte on July 27.

Duterte and CPP-NPA founder Jose Maria Sison also figured in a verbal spat with both camps accusing each other of arrogance.

Duterte and Sison, however, seemed to have recently patched things up, with both the government and the CPP-NPA agreeing to free some political prisoners.

Stalled peace talks

Peace talks earlier brokered by Norway were stalled in 2012 after the Philippine government refused to free communist leaders who had been in jail for decades.

Dureza said the declaration of ceasefire by both camps, creates a situation for the fast resolution of the decades-long conflict.

“The enabling environment brought about by this ‘silencing of the guns’ will hopefully go a long way in bringing about an expeditious and early resolution to our differences and aspirations that have long divided us as a people,” Dureza said. —ALG/VVP, GMA News