By Manuel T. Cayon & Elijah Felice E. Rosales
THE government last Sunday has instructed its troops to refrain from conducting offensives against the New People’s Army (NPA) in response to a similar directive by the National Democratic Front (NDF) to its armed wing to desist from attacking soldiers and to clear Mindanao of Islamist militants.
In a statement, Government Peace Panel Chairman Silvestre H. Bello III said the government is returning the favor by suspending all offensive against the NPA.
“We welcome the recent statement of the NDF, reaffirming its support to the government’s fight against the Maute, Abu Sayyaf and Ansar al-Khilafah Philippines groups, and other terrorist organizations wreaking havoc in Marawi City, Lanao del Sur, and other parts of the country,” Bello said. “The government hereby correspondingly reciprocates with the same declaration of not undertaking offensive operations against the NPA to pave the way for the eventual signing of a mutually agreed bilateral cease-fire agreement and agreements on social and economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms and end of hostilities and disposition of forces toward a just and lasting peace.”
Bello added the government panel admires the NDF’s recommendation to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to order all NPA units in Mindanao to halt offensives against the military and police forces flushing out terror groups on the island.
“We also appreciate the NDF’s commitment in their declaration to refrain from undertaking offensive operations in Mindanao to enable the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to focus their attention on the war against terror groups,” the peace panel chairman said.
Bello is positive these voluntary gestures and expressions of solidarity from the NDF could lay the grounds for the resumption of the stalled peace negotiations.
The government panel last month withdrew from the fifth round of peace talks, following the CPP’s directive to the NPA to intensify operations in the face of President Duterte’s martial-law declaration in Mindanao. The NDF last Saturday reiterated its support to the government in its fight against terror groups.
“We condemn and are resolved and determined to counteract the Maute, Abu Sayyaf and Ansar al-Khilafah Philippines groups, which are wreaking havoc in Marawi City,” the NDF said in a statement. It was signed by Fidel V. Agcaoili, the NDF’s chief negotiator.
As a proof of its sincerity, the NDF said it instructed the Moro Resistance and Liberation Organization inside Marawi City to assume home-defense tasks against the terror groups. Aside from this, the NDF also told the CPP to order all NPA units to stop attacking government troops operating against Islamist militants.