by Argyll Cyrus E. Geducos
Government peace panel chairperson Labor and Employment Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III yesterday backed the decision of President Duterte to lift the government ceasefire with the communist rebel group.
According to Bello, Duterte did the right thing in lifting the ceasefire to make the communist rebel group know that their attacks on soldiers were wrong.
Bello said Duterte is saddened by the brutal killing of three soldiers in an encounter with the New People’s Army on February 1.
“Tama ang ginawa ng ating Pa-ngulo para iparamdam sa kanila talaga na hindi tama ‘yung ginagawa nila, lalong lalo na there is an ongoing peace negotiation,” Bello said over Radyo ng Bayan yesterday.
He added that they have not talked with the leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front since they announced the withdrawal of their ceasefire.
The Labor Secretary also said that their scheduled meeting with the NPA-CPP-NDF on February 22 to 25 in the Netherlands to agree on a bilateral ceasefire will push through.
He added that having a bilateral ceasefire is better since violations will be specified and there would be parameters to be followed by both parties.
“’Yun ang mga dapat maklaro, at ‘yung makaklaro kapag merong bilateral ceasefire agreement, dahil merong pagpapaliwanag doon, ‘yung mga parameters, definition of terms, meron terms of reference. Kung may paglabag, alam natin kung anong gagawin natin,” he said.
Bello also said that they would take the opportunity during the next meeting to ask their counterpart to communicate with their people on the ground after presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said there was an apparent “disconnect between dissident leaders negotiating at the table and their forces on the ground.”
