Duterte declares 10-day Christmas truce with Reds

December 20, 2017

President Rodrigo Duterte has declared a unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels during the Christmas holidays.

In a statement on Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the suspension of offensive military operations will be  from Dec. 24, 2017 to Jan. 2, 2018.

"This unilateral ceasefire would lessen the apprehension of the public this Christmas season," he said.

The government expects the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front to do "similar gesture of goodwill," he said.

"Christmas holds a special place in the hearts of our countrymen. In the observance of this occasion, we hope that all Filipinos would stand together as one nation and aspire for peace in our beloved Philippines," Roque said.

Duterte's declaration of unilateral ceasefire was contrary to earlier proposal of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana that his office would not recommend the SOMO as this would only be used by the leftist rebels to intensify their attacks against government troops.

The President has terminated the peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF and declared them as terrorist organizations due to atrocities and extortion activities that they continue to commit. Celerina Monte/DMS