BY AARON RECUENCO
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has no plan to recommend to President Duterte a holiday ceasefire with the New People’s Army (NPA) as it continues to brand the communist rebels as terrorists.
AFP spokesman Major Gen. Edgard Arevalo, however, said that the decision remains with Duterte as their commander-in-chief.
“The AFP – wishing and longing for a peaceful Yuletide season for the Filipino people notwithstanding – will not recommend to the commander-in-chief a holiday ceasefire with the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG),” Arevalo said in a statement.
In opposing any holiday truce, Arevalo explained that the ceasefire period was just being used by the NPA to continue extortion activities and attack government troops and other facilities.
He added that the NPA also has a history of insincerity, saying there were cases in the past that local communist rebels would attack government troopers despite its own declaration of Christmas truce.
Arevalo also quoted National Democratic Front of the Philippines negotiator Luis Jalandoni whom he said was quoted as saying that they push for peace negotiations not really to bring about tranquility but to pursue armed struggle.
“They venture on peace talks only to give themselves the chance to regroup, refurbish, recruit new members, and recoup their losses. They broker peace covenants as a means to an end which is to overthrow government,” said Arevalo.
“And with these many hard lessons of the past, we will not allow them to trample upon our people’s bona fide desire for peace – not this holiday season – not until we have decisively defeated this menace to society,” he added.
Arevalo, however, said that the AFP will respect whatever the decision of Duterte.
