No X’mas ceasefire with Reds – DND
MAASIM, Sarangani (December 1) – Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Monday said the government is not inclined to declare a ceasefire with the communist rebel group during the Christmas holidays.
“Ang pinag-usap usapan namin ay unless na may other circumstances, wala pong ceasefire,” Teodoro said.(Our discussion [in the cabinet] is that unless there are other circumstances, there will be no ceasefire [with the CPP-NPA-NDF]).
The defense did not elaborate what circumstances will compel the government to declare a Christmas truce with the Communist Party of the Philippines and its military wing, the New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
House Speaker Prospero Nograles earlier pushed for ceasefire with the communists “to give peace a chance.”
Teodoro flew in and out of Maasim Monday to hand over cash assistance for the repair of several classrooms at the Maasim Elementary School.
He was met by Sarangani governor Miguel Rene Dominguez who, the following day, also called on the national government to cease its military operations against the CPP-NPA and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) during the holidays.
Both rebel groups are active in the province.
The Maoist-inspired guerilla warfare waged by the CPP-NPA is the longest running insurgency movement in Southeast Asia.
It was founded on December 26, 1968 by a handful of intellectuals and remnants of the old Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas.
Peace negotiations between the communist rebel group and the Arroyo administration broke down in 2004 after the CPP-NPA and its political umbrella, the National Democratic Front (NDF), pulled out from the peace negotiations following the government’s refusal to drop the terrorist tag labeled against them by the United States and several European countries.
Meanwhile, Tedoro also announced the deployment of another battalion of government soldiers in Maasim to replace the 25th Infantry Battalion which was pulled out last month.
The defense chief said the reinforcement should be enough to maintain peace and order in the province.
On August 18, some 80 MILF guerillas launched a dawn attack at the poblacion center of Maasim but were repulsed by alert policemen.
Two innocent civilians were however killed before the MILF rebels withdrew.
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