Philippine government prepares ceasefire with rebels to focus on fight against militants in Marawi
President Duterte has pursued talks with the communist rebels, who have been waging one of Asia’s longest-running Marxist insurgencies, he has expressed outrage over continuing guerrilla attacks
The Philippine government said on Sunday that it would suspend offensives against communist guerrillas to reciprocate a similar plan by the insurgents and allow troops to focus on quelling a bloody siege by fighters aligned with Islamic State (IS) that has dragged on for nearly a month in a southern city.
Philippine negotiator Silvestre Bello said the government move aims to foster talks for a ceasefire accord and a peace pact with New People’s Army rebels. Troops have been battling communist and Muslim militants simultaneously in the country’s south.
“The Philippine government hereby correspondingly reciprocates with the same declaration of not undertaking offensive operations against the New People’s Army,” Bello said in a statement, without specifying when such a suspension of government offensives would take effect and under what terms.
Despite the peace overtures, Philippine troops killed five communist rebels in separate clashes in the south while the guerrillas stormed a police station in a central town and seized a dozen assault rifles and pistols over the weekend, officials said.
The Philippine government hereby correspondingly reciprocates with the same declaration of not undertaking offensive operations
Three communist guerrillas were killed in Davao Oriental province and two others died in Compostela Valley in separate clashes with army troops on Saturday, military officials said.
In the central town of Maasin in Iloilo province, about 50 communist rebels stormed a police station and seized 12 rifles and pistols, two-way radios, laptop computers, jewellery and a patrol car, said police Chief Superintendent Cesar Hawthorne Binag, who condemned the attack. Criminal complaints will be filed against the attackers, he said.
