Church group calls on gov’t to reciprocate CPP’s truce extension
“We call on President Rodrigo Duterte to put a heavy premium on peace and the release on humanitarian grounds the vulnerable during this time of crisis. Today, more than ever—as our nation and the whole world prays for healing—is the time to ‘seek peace and pursue it,” PEPP said, quoting the Bible.
NDFP condoles with Bello for the death of sister due to Covid
The NDFP said it shares in the grief of Bello and urged him to stay strong in fulfilling his peace advocacy and mission to help Filipino workers, including overseas workers.
CPP extends truce order despite complaints of GRP ceasefire violations
“The CPP ordered the units of the NPA (New People’s Army) and the people’s militias to continue to desist and cease from carrying out offensive military actions against the armed units and personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) and other paramilitary and armed groups attached to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP),” its information office said in a statement.
Reds report to UN on GRP truce violations
As the Duterte government and the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) respective unilateral ceasefire declarations expired Wednesday night, April 15, the NDFP said in a letter to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that the government’s violations are in defiance of the global body’s request for all warring parties to temporary lay down arms to concentrate on fighting the pandemic.
GRP and CPP ceasefire orders unlikely to be extended
After each declaring unilateral ceasefire orders to focus on their respective anti-coronavirus disease (Covid-19) campaigns, the government and the revolutionary forces are unlikely to extend their separate truce declarations due to reports of violations, mainly by GRP forces.
Family asks chief justice to free political detainee and other elderly and sickly prisoners
“My father’s freedom will remove him from otherwise high vulnerability to the coronavirus while in prison, and enable us, his family, to better care for him as he struggles through illnesses,” Casambre’s daughter Xandra Biseño said.
AFP violation of gov’t ceasefire order results in another clash; Philippine Army trooper killed
The military’s continuing operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) despite the issuance of unilateral ceasefire orders by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) resulted in yet another clash Tuesday morning.
AFP bombing spree in Mindanao disobeys Duterte’s Covid-19 ceasefire order, Reds report
“Philippine Air Force (PAF) units under the AFP’s 4th Infantry Division used an FA-50 fighter jet to indiscriminately drop five 500-pound bombs near two Lumad communities in Barangay Mandahikan, Cabanglasan (Bukidnon province) on March 27,” the CPP said in a statement.
CPP: Gov’t in contempt of UN’s global ceasefire plea with ‘non-stop combat operations’
“[Government] Military and police units across the country have continued to carry out relentless offensives despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s unilateral ceasefire declaration which covers the period March 19 to April 15,” Marco Valbuena, CPP chief information officer, said.
Groups urge Covid-19 testing in prisons, release of political detainees
KAPATID said the three unnamed political detainees are showing common Covid-19 symptoms like fever, headaches, cold, cough and body weakness—the same symptoms for the respiratory disease which has already killed 45 people in the country as of March 25, including nine doctors.