MANILA – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has no plans to recommend any truce with the members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) this holiday season, their spokesperson said Thursday.
According to Marine Major Gen. Edgard Arevalo, they are not inclined with the move since the communist terrorists have been demonstrating insincerity in previous agreements.
“The AFP – wishing and longing for a peaceful yuletide season for the Filipino people notwithstanding – will not recommend to the commander-in-chief (President Rodrigo Duterte) a holiday ceasefire with the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG),” Arevalo said.
The CPP-NPA, as proven by the AFP’s experiences in past holiday ceasefire agreements, has demonstrated insincerity and unwillingness to comply with a pact they signed with the government, he said.
“This was the AFP’s painful experience where the CTG reneged from their ceasefire declaration by attacking and killing soldiers on humanitarian and peace and development missions,” noted Arevalo.
“Despite the incumbency of a truce, these terrorists also continued their extortion activities and committed crimes of murder, arson, and the likes,” he added.
Arevalo further said the CPP-NPA will only seek peace talks only “to give themselves the chance to regroup, refurbish, recruit new members, and recoup their losses.”
“Luis Jalandoni, an NDF (National Democratic Front) negotiator, boldly declared that they push for peace negotiations not really to bring about tranquility, but to pursue armed struggle. They broker peace covenants as a means to an end which is to overthrow the government,” Arevalo claimed.
Considering these many hard lessons of the past, Arevalo said they will not allow the “Reds” to “trample upon the Filipinos’ bonafide desire for peace” and continues to be firm in their desire to defeat the movement which they describe as a menace to society.
The CPP-NPA is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the Philippines./PN
