President Rodrigo R. Duterte answers queries from members of the media after administering the oath of office for the newly-appointed undersecretaries of different government agencies at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace on August 1, 2016. ACE MORANDANTE/PPD
DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated that he wants to achieve a successful truce with the armed groups in the country who are carrying political ideologies during his term.
“I pray to God. Gusto ko sa generation ko with the MI, MN.. huwag lang yung mga criminal (I want to have it in my generation with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, Moro National Liberation Front, but not with the criminals),” he said during a press briefing in Malacañan Palace on Monday, August 1.
Duterte on Saturday, July 30, lifted his unilateral ceasefire declaration after the Communist Party of the Philippines failed to reciprocate with their own ceasefire declaration.
But the CPP said that they were refining their draft interim ceasefire declaration since July 25. They were about to issue the ceasefire at 8:00 pm on Saturday, it said.
“Through the Information Bureau, an announcement was made at past 4:00 p.m. yesterday that a reciprocal ceasefire declaration was set to be issued by the CPP at around 8:00 p.m. last night. That Malacañang’s announcement withdrawing the ceasefire declaration was made at around 7:30 p.m. lacks circumspect to say the least,” it said in a statement on Sunday, July 31.
Duterte lamented the attack of the New People’s Army against the Cafgu Active Auxiliary and soldiers in Kapalong, Davao del Norte, a day after the declaration of the unilateral ceasefire.
“Kaya nga ako nagdeclare ng ceasefire eh. Ako pa ang namatayan, kami pa ngayon ang kontrabida (That’s why I declared a ceasefire. I lost a trooper, but I am the one who is the villain),” he said.
The NPA said that they were protecting their troops from the paramilitary group and the military as part of their “active defense mode” in the face of an imminent armed encounter.
But Duterte said that he cannot stop talking about peace.
“I cannot stop talking about peace. I am a President who is supposed to bring this to his land. Whether it’s Sison or not, whether I like to talk to Sison or not, it’s not important. It’s not relevant at all,” Duterte said, referring to his former Professor Jose Maria Sison, the founding chairman of the CPP.
The CPP said that they will declare a unilateral ceasefire on August 20.
GRP, NDF urged to declare simultaneous ceasefire
Meanwhile, former Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares said that both the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines should declare a simultaneous unilateral ceasefire on August 20, the schedule of the formal peace negotiations between the two panels in Oslo, Norway.
“The Filipino people want peace and as peace advocates, we will support any effort by Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and the NDF leadership aimed at achieving just and lasting peace,” said Colmenares in a statement on Monday, August 1.
Colmenares said “the unfortunate bigay-bawi ceasefire and the Kapalong incident taught us a lesson that a sudden declaration of a unilateral ceasefire is not effective if the military do not immediately withdraw from their offensive posts and actions; and the other side is caught by surprise or put on the spot to reciprocate immediately and worse, given an ultimatum to comply.”
He said the prolonged unilateral, simultaneous ceasefire is different from the traditional ceasefire declared during the Lenten season and the holidays.
He said a ceasefire is best when “negotiated with important details meticulously agreed upon.”
“For the sake of the Filipino people we need to address injustice, poverty and other issues that generate the war. All parties must keep their eye on the ball—our main aim is to achieve just and lasting peace,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
