MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) slammed the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army for casting doubts of President Rodrigo Duterte’s unilateral ceasefire declaration.
DILG spokesman Jonathan Malaya expressed dismay over the hesitation of CPP founder Jose Maria Sison to reciprocate the ceasefire declared by the Duterte administration.
“Nakakalungkot na ang naging tugon naman po ng Communist Party of the Philippines ay wala pa raw basehan para sila din ay magdeklara ng ceasefire,” Malaya said during the Laging Handa Public Briefing on Thursday.
“Lumalabas po sa kanilang mga aksyon na wala po talaga silang pakialam sa sitwasyon na kinahaharap ng ating bansa,” he added.
Malaya also said that DILG chief Eduardo Año has already ordered the Philippine National Police (PNP) to terminate all on-going and planned offensive police operations against communist rebels across the country.
Should the communist rebels launch their attacks despite the country’s problem on coronavirus disease, Malaya said that the PNP is ready to defend themselves.
“Ready naman ‘yan kung sakaling sila ay tirahin ng mga New People’s Army, lalaban sila. Ngunit, sana naman po ilagay naman po ang national interest above their own interest,” Malaya said.
President Duterte on Wednesday declared a ceasefire with the communist rebels that took effect on Thursday and will expire on April 15.
Sison, however, responded that the “militarist” lockdown on the entire Luzon was meant not to fight the coronavirus disease 2019 but to “intimidate the people, suppress democratic rights, commit human rights violations and prevent the working people from going to their workplaces, and immobilize even the health workers and people who wish to tested and treated for COVID-19 and serious ailments.”/PN
