DAVAO CITY – President Rodrigo Duterte released a statement through Presidential Peace Adviser Sec. Jesus Dureza ordering the immediate lifting of the unilateral ceasefire against the Communist Party of the Philippines.
In a Facebook post of government’s TV network People’s Television (PTV), the statement of the president was released 7:00 pm Saturday, July 30, only five days after he declared a unilateral ceasefire with the CPP during his first State of the Nation Address.
“Let me now announce that I am hereby ordering for the immediate lifting of the unilateral ceasefire that i ordered last July 25 against the Communist rebels,” Duterte said.
Duterte also ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine (AFP) National Police (PNP) to “withdraw the operational guidelines they issued in pursuance to that ceasefire declaration.”
He said that all security forces “to be on high alert” and “continue to discharge their normal functions and mandate to neutralize all threats to national security, protect the citizenry, enforce the laws and maintain peace in the land.”
On July 29, Friday, Duterte said that he will lift the unilateral ceasefire with the CPP-NDF-NPA once the group failed to present their ceasefire declaration before 5:00 pm today, July 30. (davaotoday.com)
