DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels during the Christmas seasons, but her daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte wants her city excluded.
In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said The President decided to observe the annual tradition to suspend military operations against members of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), over the holidays, said Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a statement issued Sunday night.
But Mayor Duterte in a statement said “…We ask the Duterte government to exclude Davao City from the scope of the Christmas ceasefire with these terrorists. We also seek the same once the national government pursues the reopening of the formal peace negotiations.”
The ceasefire took effect at 12 a.m. of Dec. 23 and will end until 11:59 p.m. of January 7 next year.
“We believe that the Christmas truce will be used by the terrorist groups as an opportunity to regain communities previously cleared of their presence, consolidate their forces, and derail the progress of existing government rural development projects,” she said in a statement.
President Duterte made the declaration, as he wished all Filipinos to enjoy “quietude and serenity as they celebrate the Holiday Season with their loved ones free from violence or any form of disruption,” his spokesperson said.
Duterte’s decision to order a holiday truce with the communist movement came upon the recommendation of Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, authorized state negotiator Hernani Braganza, NDF negotiating panel senior adviser Luis Jalandoni, and NDF negotiating panel chairperson Fidel Agcaoili.
In a joint statement, the representatives from the national government and the communist party said the ceasefire would help generate a “positive environment conducive to the holding of informal talks preparatory to the formal meeting to resume the peace negotiations”.
