Repost from GMA News Online
Published February 3, 2017 7:17pm

Even before President Rodrigo Duterte lifted the government’s ceasefire against communist rebels, the Communist Party of the Philippines said it didn’t matter because authorities “have observed no such ceasefire in the past six months.”

“The peasant masses are bearing the brunt of the GRP’s fake ceasefire,” said the group in reference to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP).

“Duterte has also made no moves to order the withdrawal of AFP troops from their occupation of at least 500 peasant barrios,” it added.

The communists on Wednesday terminated the unilateral ceasefire effective 11:59 p.m. on February 10.

“The August 28, 2016 unilateral declaration of interim ceasefire issues by the Central Committee of the CPP (CPP-CC) and the National Operations Command of the New People’s Army (NPA)-NOC) is hereby terminated,” said Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, spokesman of the group.

Two days after their pronouncement, Duterte then lifted the government’s ceasefire with the communist rebels during his speech at the launching of Solar Powered Irrigation System in North Cotabato.

“Kagabi, I decided. I called General Año and said, ‘Ni-lift ko ang ceasefire.’ Tonight, wala nang ceasefire,” he said.

Duterte washing hands

The CPP also conveyed its resentment over Duterte’s failure to commit to his promise of releasing all political prisoners.

“Duterte pretends he is merely obliging the AFP in its demands not to release all political prisoners through a presidential amnesty proclamation. He is trying to wash his hands of any culpability,” the communist group said.

Duterte had earlier said the military would oust or kill him if he approved the release of over 400 rebel detainees.

“Kaya ang sabi ko, huwag n’yo akong ipitin because the military might not like it. And then the military would oust me, would kill me, you have nobody talking to you,” he said.

The rebel group claimed that Duterte had “duplicitously promised” amnesty and release to three political prisoners – Eduardo Sarmiento, Emeterio Antalan and Leopoldo Caluza who all remained incarcerated.

They also accused Duterte of “committing a gross denial of justice” to political prisoners over failure to comply with the ‘Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law’ and the ‘Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees.’

“For someone claiming to be a Leftist, Duterte would have given more consideration to the people’s cry for justice and end to the military abuses over what he claims are risks to his own life or political power,” the communist rebels said. —Marlly Rome C. Bondoc/JST, GMA News

– See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/598231/news/nation/reds-government-had-fake-ceasefire-under-duterte