DAVAO CITY\u2014Even after President Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels on Monday, the New People\u2019s Army (NPA) on Tuesday afternoon ordered all its units to maintain an active defense mode.<\/p>\n\n
Jorge Madlos, or \u201cKa Oris,\u201d the recently designated spokesperson of the NPA National Operational Command, said this was only their initial response to Mr. Duterte\u2019s ceasefire declaration.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cUnder the direction of the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines], the National Operational Command of the NPA orders all territorial and unit commands, including all units of people\u2019s militias, to stay on active defense mode as we welcome the unilateral ceasefire declaration by GRP President Rodrigo Duterte and await its operational details,\u201d Madlos said. GRP stands for Government Republic of the Philippines.<\/p>\n\n
Madlos said the order would be in force while they await a reciprocal ceasefire declaration from the communist umbrella group National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).<\/p>\n\n
\u201cBy staying on active defense mode, the NPA prepares for a reciprocal unilateral ceasefire declaration by the CPP and NDFP to be issued soon to boost the coming peace talks. An exchange of unilateral ceasefire declarations will be one of the first items in the resumption of the NDFP-GRP peace talks scheduled for August 20 to 27 with the aim of making these unilateral declarations effective,\u201d Madlos said.<\/p>\n\n
The NPA, however, would closely monitor the government\u2019s observance of Duterte\u2019s ceasefire order, he said.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cThe NPA and all revolutionary forces will closely observe how President Duterte\u2019s declaration is carried out by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and whether there will be a clear termination of military operations being carried out under the US-designed Oplan Bayanihan counter-insurgency war of suppression,\u201d Madlos said.<\/p>\n\n
He said the NPA had received reports of military units still in communities around the country a day after the ceasefire declaration.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cAs of this morning, reports from the field indicated that AFP units remained in communities and had yet to withdraw in Isabela, Cagayan, Bulacan, Quezon, Batangas, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Samar, Surigao, Davao del Norte, Davao del Sur and other provinces,\u201d Madlos said.<\/p>\n\n
\u201cIn light of the GRP ceasefire declaration, the people seek the immediate withdrawal of troops who have been conducting psywar and surveillance operations in communities and reconnaissance and search-and-destroy operations in guerrilla zones and bases of the NPA,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
DAVAO CITY\u2014Even after President Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with communist rebels on Monday, the New People\u2019s Army (NPA) on Tuesday afternoon ordered all its units to maintain an active defense mode.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":786115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,45],"tags":[451,41955,3358,206081],"byline":[28907],"source":[206070],"column":[],"editor":[170633],"videographer":[],"position":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n