The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) announced it and the New People’s Army (NPA) will not declare a holiday ceasefire this year.
CPP chief information officer Marco Valbuena told Kodao that a Christmas-New Year truce is prevented by the Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s government’s “relentless war of suppression, offensive military operations and imposition of martial law in the countryside.”
“In its desperation to crush the people’s resistance, the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) is presently undertaking military operations across the country against the Party and NPA,” Valbuena explained.
Traditionally declared during the country’s observance of the holidays, ceasefire declarations by both the CPP-NPA and the Manila government used to last at least a week between December 24 to January 1 of next year.
The declarations also cover CPP’s founding anniversary celebrations on December 26.
The Marcos Jr. government has refused to reciprocate CPP’s unilateral ceasefire declaration last year, instead conducting a brutal Christmas Day air raid against an NPA camp in Bukidnon province.
The attack lasted until December 26 and killed 10 NPA fighters, the CPP reported.
READ: CPP confirms 10 NPA casualties in Christmas Day carnage in Bukidnon
Government security officials earlier this year also vowed to “strategically defeat” the NPA by year’s end.
‘Why the martial law then?’
Valbuena however said AFP’s claim of having reduced the NPA to only “one weakened” guerrilla front is “ludicrous,” belied by the government’s large-scale military deployments and offensives of the AFP across all regions in the country.
Instead of weakening the NPA however, the Marcos government and the armed forces have imposed virtual martial law in many interior villages in several provinces throughout the country, Valbuena reported.
Provinces that have focused military operations include Ilocos Norte, Abra, Kalinga, Cagayan, Isabela, Bulacan, Aurora, Laguna, Quezon, Mindoro Oriental, Mindoro Occidental, Camarines Norte, Albay, Sorsogon, Masbate, Capiz, Aklan, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Surigao provinces, Agusan provinces, Bukidnon, Davao del Norte, and the Lanao provinces, he said.
“This war of suppression being waged by Marcos and the (AFP) is characterized by wanton violation of political and civil rights, as well as of international humanitarian law,” Valbuena added.
The CPP official said the situation is compelling the NPA to continue waging armed resistance in defense of the people.
Valbuena also said the CPP and the NPA are also busy preparing meetings and assemblies for the revolutionary party’s 56th anniversary celebrations next week.
“With their indomitable spirit of resistance and determination to fight, the revolutionary armed struggle is invincible and will not be defeated, this year or ever,” Valbuena said. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)
