PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte would continue his quest to make the peace talks between his administration and the communist rebels successful despite the termination of truce by the New People’s Army (NPA), a Malacañang official said on Wednesday.
"The President will continue to exercise strong political wing to move forward with the peace talks with the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)-NPA-NDF (National Democratic Front), despite the revocation of the unilateral ceasefire by the NPA,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
NPA spokesperson Jorge Madlos said that the group is ending its unilateral ceasefire with the Duterte administration on February 10.
Madlos, however, assured that the NPA would still support the ongoing peace talks between the government and the NDF.
Abella said the Department of National Defense would continue to observe the government’s unilateral ceasefire with the communist group.
He added that while upholding the truce, the military should also impose campaign that would protect civilians from harm and terrorism. (SunStar Philippines)