All guerrilla fronts under the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command – Negros Island will adhere to a ceasefire if and when it is declared by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the National Operational Command of the New People’s Army (NPA).

However, war hawks in Duterte’s military-laden cabinet are working against GRP-NDFP peace talks resumption and are actively sabotaging goodwill measures including the ceasefire for the holidays from Christmas to New Year and the GRP’s release of sickly and elderly political prisoners on humanitarian grounds such as Ka Frank Fernandez and Ka Cleofe Lagtapon.

The 3rd Infantry Division’s announcement of more troops to be deployed to Negros Island in early 2020 is a manifestation of their recruitment crisis, not strength. The NPA’s tactical offensives this year has effectively resulted to AFP casualties no matter how much the 3ID denies it. The Joint Task Force-Negros’ December 2019 deadline of dismantling the NPA north and central fronts has even been postponed to “early part 2020.” The AFP’s commanders and spokespersons are like broken records each year forever singing the same song of destroying the NPA. So much for Vinoya’s claim of the whole-of-nation approach “winning the war.”

I reiterate my statement last night, the Negrosanons cherish the NPA. That is a fact. The Negrosanons will celebrate the 51 years of CPP leadership of the revolutionary movement in Negros and the Philippines this December 26, 2019. That is truth.