Duterte lifts gov’t ceasefire with Reds

President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday announced that he has lifted the government's unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels.

“Kagabi, I decided. I called General Año and said, ‘Ni-lift ko ang ceasefire.' Tonight, wala nang ceasefire,” Duterte said in a speech in North Cotabato.

Duterte's announcement came two days after the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army announced its decision to terminate its unilateral ceasefire beginning February 10.

The GPH and the National Democratic Front, the CPP-NPA's negotiating arm, only recently ended the third round of peace talks in Rome.

Another round of negotiations has been slated in the coming weeks.

"Because I lost so many soldiers in just 48 hours, I think to continue with the ceasefire does not or will not produce anything," Duterte said.

"Therefore, I am asking the soldiers: go back to camp, clean your rifles, and be ready to fight. I am sorry but that's how it is," he added.

The President first declared a unilateral ceasefire with the CPP-NPA-NDF during his first State of the Nation Address on July 25, 2016.

He lifted it on July 30, 2016 after the communists failed to declare their own unilateral ceasefire.

The government and the CPP-NPA-NDF declared their own ceasefires ahead of the resumption of peace talks with the communists in Oslo, Norway in August 2016.

After the first round of peace talks, they signed an indefinite ceasefire agreement.

However, the goal of a bilateral ceasefire agreement has yet to be realized.

AFP to comply

The Armed Forces of the Philippines immediately indicated its readiness to resume the offensive against the CPP-NPA.

AFP Chief of Staff General Eduardo Año said they welcomed the pronouncement of the president “because the AFP has to do its mandate of protecting the people, securing the community and taking care of our own soldiers too.”

He said the AFP will go after the NPA to stop them from their illegal activities. "And we will hit them hard!” he added.

“Be that as it may, rest assured that the AFP will continue to support the peace talk with the NDF to find a permanent peaceful solution to this four decades-long conflict,” Año  said.

“We hear the people's clamor for peace and are willing to work hard to attain it but it is unfortunate that the CPP-NPA-NDF chooses to play deaf,” he added.

"We will comply with the commander-on-chief’s order and guidance,” AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said in a text message to GMA News Online when sought for comment.

In a press conference earlier in the day, Padilla said the AFP condemns the NPA’s recent atrocities such as killing six of their soldiers who came from peace and development projects that benefitted the communities.

“These acts are not only violations of their own ceasefire declaration, that is still in effect, it is an utter disregard to International Humanitarian Law when they used excessive force on the bodies of three soldiers they earlier abducted," Padilla said.

"The NPA perpetrated acts that are completely unnecessary to the already fallen soldiers,” he added.

Padilla said even that before the CPP-NPA announced the withdrawal of their ceasefire, the rebels already committed atrocities against government forces starting last Sunday.

“The most heinous of which was the killing of three soldiers of the 8th Infantry Battalion in Bukidnon," Padilla said.

"These soldiers were in civilian uniform and just came from non-combat activity when they were mercilessly fired upon by the NPA and they admitted having fired the first shot," he added.

Padilla said the victims suffered up to 27 gunshot wounds each.

He added the NPA also abducted three soldiers in separate incidents in Surigao Del Norte and Sultan Kudarat.

“We hereby demand the immediate release of PFC Salan abducted January 29, and two other soldiers abducted February 2,” he said. — NB, GMA News