Lorenzana: No ceasefire with rebels this Holy Week

FILE: As Holy Week break approaches, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Wednesday, March 28, that there will be no Lenten truce with communist rebels as security officials remain on alert to stop unexpected incidents. (PNA Photo)

As the Holy Week break approaches, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Wednesday, March 28, that there will be no Lenten truce with communist rebels but security officials remain on alert to stop unexpected incidents.

“I don’t think there will be (a ceasefire). We have not discussed this at Cabinet level nor between the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) and PNP (Philippine National Police),” Lorenzana was quoted as saying in a Philstar report.

Lorenzana also stressed that he is opposed to suspending offensive military operations against the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

“I have not gotten any guidance from the President. I am not also recommending a ceasefire,” he added.

The NPA in Caraga earlier announced that it will halt their tactical offensive against the government “in deference to peaceful observance of the Filipino people’s Holy Week tradition.”

In a statement from a certain Ka Ariel Montero, the spokesman of the CPP-NPA Regional Operation Command (ROC) of Northeastern Mindanao, the ROC of Bagong Hukbo ng Bayan (BHB)—Northeastern Mindanao Region (NEMR) directed all its field units and Milisyang Bayan (MB) in Caraga region to temporarily stop their offensive against the AFP and PNP during the Holy Week.

“The temporary stoppage of tactical offensive will start on Wednesday, March 28, and will end on Sunday, April 1,” CPP-NPA ROC spokesperson noted.

The AFP, however, doubted this declaration, saying that it is “unusual” and “another ploy” to catch security forces off-guard.

“We believe that such unusual declaration by the NPA is another ploy to deceive security forces, the government and especially the people so that the government will be forced to declare SOMO (suspension of military operations) in order for them (NPA) to reconstitute forces, recruit new members, extort money, and rest from the unceasing focused military operation of the AFP,” Lt. Col. Emmanuel Garcia said in a statement.

Garcia called the communist rebels’ declaration as a “desperate attempt” to paint “religiosity in their organization while the basic principle of Communism on which their fake revolution is anchored, does not believe in God and reject religion.”

The peace negotiations between the communist rebels and the government ended as the latter found it unfortunate that the leftists have failed to show their sincerity and commitment in pursuing “genuine and meaningful” peace talks.