Sunday, December 21, 2008 NPA declares 5-day ceasefire
IF THE Philippine government declared a four-day ceasefire in time for the holiday season, the New People's Army (NPA) declared a five-day truce.
A rebel statement posted on the website of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said NPA fighters were restrained from initiating offensives to allow the country to celebrate a violence-free Christmas holidays.
"In unity with the Filipino people's holiday traditions, the NPA was instructed to observe truce from December 24 to 26 and December 31 and January 1," the rebel statement said.
The NPA leadership said the 5,000-member NPA, active in 69 of 81 provinces in the country, would remain in a defensive mode because it did not trust the military to abide by its own ceasefire.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo earlier declared a ceasefire on December 24-25 and December 31-January 1.
The longer ceasefire of the NPA was in line with the 40th year anniversary of the CPP on December 26.
The ceasefire was welcomed by the government soldiers as this would mean they would be given pass to celebrate the holidays with their families. (BOT)
