AFP chief: CPP holiday truce declaration too short

MANILA, Philippines - Armed Forces chief Gen. Emmanuel Bautista said on Thursday that the six-day holiday truce declared by communist rebels is too short even as the government has yet to reciprocate the declaration.

If Bautista would have his way, the ceasefire should last forever so that people won’t suffer from armed violence.

“Their (ceasefire) declaration is too short,” the military chief said in an interview in Camp Aguinaldo.

“If they want, we can stop the clashes forever. We want that don’t we?” he added.

Bautista, nevertheless, said the military would support the decision of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) on the matter.

“If they (rebels) declare a long-term ceasefire, our countrymen will no longer suffer because of the armed struggle. They have been suffering for too long,” he added.

On Wednesday, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) declared a six-day truce to observe the holidays and to celebrate its 45th anniversary.

The ceasefire will take effect from December 24 to December 26 and from December 31 to January 2.

“The ceasefire declaration is being issued in order to allow the Filipino people and their revolutionary forces to join mass celebrations to mark the 45th anniversary of the CPP’s re-establishment on December 26,” the CPP said in a statement.

The government has yet to issue a ceasefire declaration as of press time.

There are speculations linking the government’s alleged inaction to proposals to declare a truce with the stalled peace negotiations.

The talks were stalled after the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF) failed to reach an agreement over communist leaders facing criminal charges.

The NDF, which represents the rebels in the talks, claimed that the detention of the communist leaders were illegal since they are peace consultants and are therefore immune from arrest.

Government negotiators, however, said such claim could not be verified since some of the jailed rebels were using aliases.

In its ceasefire declaration, the CPP ordered the New People’s Army (NPA) and the people’s militia to “cease and desist from carrying out offensive operations” against government forces.

The group, however, directed its troops to remain vigilant against any “encroachments” into their territory.

“In the face of clear and imminent danger, NPA and people’s militia units retain the option to engage in armed hostilities as an act of self-defense and in order to prevent the enemy from unleashing its brutalities against the people,” the group said.

Last year, the government suspended offensive military operations against the NPA from December 16 to January 15 to support the resumption of the peace talks.

Last year’s holiday truce, one of the longest in recent years, was reciprocated the CPP.