(Eagle News) — The Palace on Friday, March 20, slammed Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison for refusing to declare a ceasefire despite the public health emergency.
“Sison is again engaged in a ranting nonsense that only highlights his perverted vision of reality as well as his insensitivity to the present grave peril that the Filipino people he professed to fight for face,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement.
According to Panelo, Sison would rather have a hostile environment where Filipinos “argue with, if not kill, each other.”
“This circumstance is a golden opportunity for Mr. Sison to show his patriotism by extending his hands for peace, for the sake of the Filipino people,” he said.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire against the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army and the National Democratic Front days after he imposed an enhanced community quarantine in Luzon to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The unilateral ceasefire took effect on March 19 and will last until April 15.
Sison said, however, there was “no clear basis” yet to reciprocate the ceasefire declared by the Philippine government.
“The NDFP is not assured and satisfied that the reciprocal unilateral ceasefires are based on national unity against [coronavirus disease 2019] (COVID-19),” he said.
“Unless it receives sufficient assurances from the (Philippine government), the NDFP will be inclined to think that the (Philippine government’s) unilateral ceasefire declaration is not sincere and is not intended to invite reciprocation by the NDFP but is meant to be a mere psywar trick,” he added.
