(Eagle News) – President Duterte announced a holiday ceasefire for rebels, urging members of the New People’s Army (NPA), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) to join their families this holiday season.
Addressing members of the military during the 81st anniversary celebration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Wednesday, December 21, the President said he himself will be guaranteeing that the rebels would be safe with their families.
The ceasefire period which Mr. Duterte announced is from December 23 to 27, and from December 31 to January 3.
“Sa mga NPA, although you did not declare a cessation of hostilities, I would like everybody to leave your arms wherever they are ngayon, and you can come down sa siyudad wherever you live. You visit your family,” he said.
The President said that he guaranteed that there would be “no arrests, and no oppression.” He said he was sure the NPA rebels had not been with their families for the holidays for years now.
“I guarantee you na walang aresto, walang oppression. At kung magkasalubong kayo ng sundalo ng Pilipinas, ng sundalo ko, magkamay lang kayo, or kung ayaw mo, huwag mo na lang tingnan,” he said.
The President said even the members of the MNLF and the MILF — groups who are also fighting a cause — are part of the ceasefire offer he made.
“Bumaba kayo. Spend time with your family. And we would like you to share the moment with us,” he said.
He even invited the rebels to military camps to eat with the soldiers. He said he would be releasing money to buy canned goods for the occasion, or even barbecue and pansit.
“Punta kayo sa kampo. Kumain kayo,” he said. “Kayong mga NPA, huwag kayong matakot. I’d like to declare it officially on my part,” the President said.
He also called on military camp commanders to “kindly open your gates and allow the people to break bread with you.”
However, Mr. Duterte stressed that his ceasefire offer did not extend to Islamic militants in the south who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group like the Maute group or have been abducting tourists, businessmen and seamen for ransom like the Abu Sayyaf Group.
“I don’t want to see you and I don’t want to deal with you,” he added.
His government is observing a ceasefire with the Maoist insurgents while holding peace talks to bring an end to a 47-year-old armed campaign has left tens of thousands of people dead according to official estimates.
The government has earlier announced Duterte was likely to grant amnesty to hundreds of detained NPA rebels.
He freed 18 rebel leaders earlier this year to kickstart talks being hosted by Norway, and both sides have said they expect to reach a final peace agreement by the middle of next year.
The communists’ armed faction is believed to have fewer than 4,000 gunmen, down from a peak of 26,000 in the 1980s, when a bloodless revolt ended the 20-year dictatorship of late president Ferdinand Marcos.
But they remain active in rural areas, where they extort money from local businesses.
They have also in recent years carried out deadly attacks on police and military forces. (with a report from Agence France Presse)
