Palace confirms no holiday truce with Reds

By Arjay L. Balinbin, Reporter
Malacañang on Thursday said there will be no holiday truce with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) this December.
“We will not allow it this time,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador S. Panelo said in a press briefing at the Palace on Thursday morning, Dec. 6.
He said Defense Secretary Delfin N. Lorenzana is against it “because, according to him, they’ve been using this cease-fire to celebrate their yearly anniversary,” which is on Dec. 26. “They are using it as an opportunity,” he added.
In case communist rebels launch attacks during their anniversary, Mr. Panelo said: “We are ready for that. The President doesn’t have to make any orders. There has been—all laws, the requisite of it have been placed even prior. Meaning to say, the defense is ready for any eventuality.”
In a statement posted on his Facebook page on Nov. 4, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Jose Maria C. Sison said: “The NDFP Negotiating Panel has already received advance notice from the CPP that it shall order the NPA to go into unilateral ceasefire mode in order to manifest solidarity with the people celebrating the Yuletide season and to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the CPP.”
He added: “The temporary unilateral ceasefire of the NPA demonstrates the high morale and self-confidence of the revolutionary forces and people in their all-round strength. But at the same time they are on alert for active defense because the enemy forces continue to wage all-out war and commit all kinds of terrorist acts and atrocities.”
Also in his statement, Mr. Sison noted that there has been “a de facto martial law nationwide” even without the President’s formal proclamation.
“The Philippines has been put under a national state of emergency and mass murders are being carried out in the countryside by the military under Oplan Kapayapaan in the same mode as Oplan Tokhang in impoverished urban slums,” he said.
“The escalation of mass murders of suspected rebels and sympathizers in both rural and urban areas is signaled by Duterte’s call for the formation of death squads for the purpose. The proclamation of the national state of emergency is prelude to the declaration of martial law nationwide. Martial law is being extended in Mindanao.”
As for the Defense Secretary, Mr. Sison said: “Lorenzana appears to differ with Duterte by calling for restraints and military intelligence-based execution of suspects. But there is no difference because the military under Oplan Kapayapaan and the police under Oplan Tokhang do not need any court warrant to abduct, detain, torture and murder suspects.”