No ceasefire this holiday season: Lorenzana

FILE: Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is not inclined to recommend any suspension of military operations (SOMO) against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels this Yuletide season. (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA — Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana is not inclined to recommend any suspension of military operations (SOMO) against New People’s Army (NPA) rebels this Yuletide season.

He made this comment at the sidelines of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Yearend Meeting held at the AFP Commissioned Officers’ Club in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City Tuesday.

The DND chief added that he could not recommend a SOMO as the NPA leadership vowed to intensify attacks against military targets in wake of Proclamation 360, issued by President Rodrigo Duterte which terminated peace talks and negotiation with the Communist Party of the Philippines following the series of rebel attacks and atrocities against military and civilian targets nationwide.

The proclamation was signed by the Chief Executive last November 23.

“Because there have been, there was an order by their commanders to intensify operations against us, so kung mag SOMO kami and we will stand down, (if we are to implement SOMO and we will stand down) then they will attack us again,” Lorenzana stressed.

And when asked whether this would constitute a break in tradition, the DND chief said that traditions could always be broken.

“We can always break tradition,” the DND chief emphasized.