MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang is leaving it up to proper authorities whether to seek a ceasefire with the New People’s Army (NPA) before peace talks could continue amid the attacks being conducted by the rebels on civilians and business firms.
“We will have to ask people on the ground and also the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police) on that (ceasefire) suggestion. Right now, again, that is being studied,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said over dzRB.
“Of course, we would welcome a ceasefire but what is being done right now is that it is really being studied very carefully,” he said.
The wife of kidnapped Lingig town Mayor Henry Dano in Surigao del Sur called for a ceasefire to press the NPA rebels to release her husband.
On Aug. 6, NPA rebels seized Dano, together with his escorts, in his house in Sabang Village.
“ Again, we would defer on people on the ground for that assessment,” Lacierda said, adding that a decision would be made after the assessment of the authorities.
On Wednesday, President Aquino ordered tighter security against the rebels and said he is leaving it to the government peace panel whether to ask for a ceasefire from the NPA.
The President made the statement after the communist rebels attacked several mining firms in Surigao del Norte.
“We leave (the decision) to the peace panel, as they are actively engaging the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front) in a continuing dialogue,” the President said in an interview after attending a briefing in Malolos City, Bulacan on the government’s response to typhoons “Pedring” and “Quiel” that hit the country last week.
The government is currently holding peace dialogues with CPP-NPA-NDF.