ILOILO – With eight days to go before Christmas, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) have yet to receive orders from the Office of the President on a possible ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).
“So maybe there is no declaration of a ceasefire. But we will wait, anyway we are ready all the time,” Police Colonel Roderick Alba, former director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office and now the PNP spokesperson, told Panay News.
During the holiday season last year, the government did not declare a truce with rebels. The CPP-NPA subsequently issued a statement that they, too, were not keen on a ceasefire, unilateral or not.
Current Iloilo police director Police Colonel Gilbert Gorero said ceasefire or not, his men have been placed on alert.
“They are ready for whatever eventuality. We are prepared. All our police chiefs have been instructed to secure their stations and deploy more personnel to the field,” Gorero told Panay News.
He did not discount the possibility that rebels would launch attacks on police and military installations.
“Indi kita dapat magkampante. Ang NPA terorista kag nagahulat lang sang chance (to strike),” Gorero said.
The NPA may stage reprisals for the death of 16 of their comrades in a military operation in Barangay Alimodias, Miag-ao town on Dec. 1, he added.
“I told my men not to leave their police stations unmanned. Also, they should always carry their long and short firearms,” said Gorero.
The Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division (3ID), too, based in Jamindan, Capiz has not received any order for a ceasefire with rebels.
“If we have a ceasefire, as early as the first week of December dapat may order na ‘yan. As of now, walang instruction, so most likely we have no ceasefire with the rebels,” said Major General Benedict Arevalo, commander of the 3ID.
His holiday wish, though, is for peace to reign.
“It’s Christmas, dapat nasa bahay tayo kasama ang ating pamilya at iwasan muna ang away at gulo,” Arevalo said.
He assured Western Visayans that government troops were on alert and many were in the field coordinating with the police and touching base with communities, even in far-flung areas.
“Open pa rin tayo sa mga rebelde na gusto mag-surrender and for them to avail of the government’s reintegration program,” Arevalo added./PN
