DECLARATION OF CEASEFIRE
Executive Committee
National Democratic Front of the Philippines
December 08, 2003
To promote the peace negotiations between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) within the framework of The Hague Joint Declaration, we hereby declare to all commands and units of the New People's Army (NPA) and the people's militia a ceasefire order to be effective from 2400H of 20 December 2003 to 2400H of 4 January 2004, provided the GRP issue to its military, police, paramilitary and irregular forces a separate but reciprocal ceasefire order whose effectivity shall be concurrent with the duration of our ceasefire order.
In conformity with our declaration of ceasefire, all commands and units of the NPA shall cease and desist from carrying out offensive operations against the armed units and personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and paramilitary forces of the GRP. They shall not be bound to cease fire before and after the duration of our ceasefire order as specified above.
While the reciprocal and mutual ceasefire is in effect, all commands and units of the NPA and the people's militia shall be in defensive mode at both the strategic and tactical levels but shall remain vigilant against any encroachment on the territory of the people's democratic government, surveillance or offensive operations by the armed commands and units of the GRP, including those of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP), paramilitary and irregular armed forces.
Active self-defense shall be normally undertaken against any offensive action of the enemy or any imminent danger thereof. However, the appropriate NPA command can decide to carry out offensive actions in order to defeat and frustrate a prior or impending enemy attack, pursue the enemy attackers or punish them and their cohorts.
Remember that mutually agreed ceasefire agreements in the past have been wantonly violated by the AFP, PNP, paramilitary and irregular forces of the GRP on the false presumption and pretext of "law enforcement" and "keeping peace and order." Uphold the political authority and law of the people's democratic government in its territory.
All commands and units of the NPA and the people's militia are hereby ordered to monitor all hostile actions or movements of the enemy armed forces and to report these upwards in accordance with the command structure of the New People's Army and the leadership structure of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. Thus, the NDFP Negotiating Panel shall be able to receive continuous, timely and accurate information regarding compliance with or violation of the mutual ceasefire.
Officers and members of the AFP and PNP who have no serious liability other than membership in their armed units shall not be subjected to arrest and punitive action. They may be allowed individually to enter the territory of the people's government for personal visits to relatives and friends.
The entire ceasefire order is hereby issued on humanitarian grounds and as an act of good will in order to allow the commands, units and personnel of the contending armies of the GRP and the NDFP to observe the traditional holidays and enjoy the spirit of the holidays within the duration of our ceasefire order.
We hope that our act of good will and the mutual ceasefire between the GRP and the NDFP would improve the atmosphere for upholding of national sovereignty and the validity of agreements in the peace negotiations, releasing political prisoners in the hands of the GRP, implementing the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law and forming the Joint Monitoring Committee, holding the next round of formal talks in January 2004 and accelerating the negotiations on social and economic reforms.
We hereby point out to the Filipino people that the Macapagal-Arroyo regime has blocked the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations for a long time by honoring the notorious human rights violator Col. Rodolfo Aguinaldo, by conniving with the US government in slandering and trying to demonize the CPP, NPA and the NDFP chief political consultant as "terrorist" and by demanding the capitulation of the revolutionary forces and the people.
Central Committee
Communist Party of the Philippines
National Military Staff
New People's Army
National Executive Committee
National Democratic Front of the Philippines
Authenticated by:
Luis G. Jalandoni
Chairperson, NDFP Negotiating Panel
Member, National Executive Committee
Copy furnished: Silvestre Bello III
Chairman, GRP Negotiating Panel
Website: http://www.philippinerevolution.org/ Email address: [email protected]
Telephone: 31-30-2310431 Fax: 31-30-2322989
Mailing address: Amsterdamsestraatweg 50, NL-3513 AG Utrecht, Netherlands#
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