The Macapagal-Arroyo regime�s ceasefire declaration this Christmas season is a welcome development

Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal
Spokesperson
Communist Party of the Philippines
December 10, 2001

We welcome the Macapagal-Arroyo regime�s declaration of a ceasefire that shall take effect today until January 6, 2002 in response to the ceasefire earlier declared by the Communist Party and the NDFP from midnight of December 15 to midnight of January 15. The CPP and NDFP�s ceasefire declaration will take effect as soon as the NDFP negotiating panel receives a copy of the official order from Macapagal-Arroyo for the government�s ceasefire.

The joint ceasefire declaration is welcome for the following reasons.

It will bring relief to the people in areas being battered by intense militarization and AFP abuses. Since June 2001, the people have borne the brunt of the AFP�s unprecedented rampage, especially in the Mindoro countryside and other areas where offensive military operations have been concentrated.

It will provide an opportunity for assistance to reach victims of intense militarization, including hundreds of Mangyans who have been forcibly evacuated from their areas. The ceasefire is also a good opportunity to investigate abuses and hold the guilty parties accountable.

It will pave the way for the release of the NPA�s prisoners of war, Sgt. Jeremias Rosete Jr., Pepito S. Simbulan, Wilfredo C. Maldecir and Herminia E. Sorongon. They are currently under the custody of the Valentin Palemine Command of the NPA in the Far South Mindanao region. We call on concerned parties to immediately get in touch with the NDFP negotiating panel to process their speedy and orderly release. We hope that the government will respond to such a goodwill measure by likewise releasing political prisoners.

It will pave the way for the formation of the Joint Monitoring Committee that will stand watch over the implementation of the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).

We hope the the aforementioned would create a favorable climate for the resumption and acceleration of the peace process, which was halted due to the Macapagal-Arroyo regime�s irrational precondition that the NPA stop its implementation of the just decisions of the people�s court under the revolutionary government. In this regard, the announcement by the NDFP and GRP panels that the peace talks would resume on January 7, 2002 is welcome news. During the ceasefire period, the people�s army shall suspend offensive operations against the AFP, PNP and paramilitary forces, enabling these forces to freely visit their relatives. But NPA units will maintain a defensive position and remain alert to actions and betrayal by the reactionary armed forces, which the NPA has often experienced in the past.###