MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang ordered yesterday a unilateral suspension of offensive military operations (SOMO) against the communist New People’s Army (NPA) during the Christmas season.
The SOMO will take effect at 12:01 a.m. today, and end at noon on Dec. 26. The truce will start again at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 31 and end on Jan. 1.
This year’s ceasefire is a day longer than last year’s, which only covered Dec. 24 to 25 and Dec. 31 to Jan. 1.
Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said the President approved the five-day SOMO upon the recommendation of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) “in keeping with the Christmas spirit of peace and goodwill.”
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the unilateral truce was “a gesture of goodwill and desire for peace and tranquility during the celebration and observance of Christmas and New Year.”
Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo directed the AFP and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to remain on alert despite the declaration of the SOMO, in light of the founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26 that may lead the NPA to launch attacks.
“We hope they will not desecrate the holiness of the season because the Armed Forces of the Philippines, while there is a unilateral SOMO on the part of the government, will maintain the usual preparedness to prevent any untoward incident,” Ermita said.
The AFP traditionally takes the initiative to propose a SOMO against communist rebels during the holiday season, and the NPA usually responds with their own unilateral ceasefire declaration, taking the opportunity to allow the rebels to be with their families and loved ones during the holidays.
Since 1986, the government has observed a holiday ceasefire with communist rebels as the nation celebrates one of the world’s longest Christmas seasons.
The CPP has been waging a protracted Maoist insurgency for nearly 40 years, one of the longest in Asia, that has claimed the lives of more than 40,000 people despite several attempts at peace negotiations.
President Arroyo has ordered the AFP to wipe out the communist insurgency by the time she steps down in 2010.
The rebels, through the National Democratic Front (NDF), walked out of peace talks after accusing the Philippine government of including the CPP and the NPA in the US and European lists of foreign terrorist organizations.
AFP chief Gen. Victor Ibrado said the holiday truce might also boost the attempt to revive the stalled peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF.
The ceasefire, however, will cover only the 4,000-strong NPA.
The AFP is also battling the Abu Sayyaf in southern Mindanao while a bilateral ceasefire with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has been in place and the two sides resumed formal peace talks on Dec. 8.
AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner said troops would continue to pursue operations against the remaining suspects in last month’s massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao.
Brawner added that the AFP still has to continue its mission to neutralize the Abu Sayyaf in southern Mindanao.
Brawner said the SOMO does not apply to pursuit operations against NPA rebels who launched attacks before the truce was declared.
He said the troops are still under orders to maintain “active defense mode,” meaning soldiers would still patrol remote villages and assist the police in law enforcement and securing vital state installations against attacks.
Brawner said the AFP is expecting the NPA to respect the unilateral declaration of the SOMO, as it did in the past years.
Brawner added the holiday breaks of soldiers in the frontlines would depend on the prevailing security situation in their area.
“The commanders determine if they could allow their troops to go on break,” he said. - With James Mananghaya