Senators support Duterte’s lifting of truce

SEVERAL senators on Sunday expressed their support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to lift the government’s unilateral cease rd said the President’s action

“We are extending our hand of peace and friendship yet we get nothing in return,” he told The Manila Times.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito agreed with Sotto.

“He has every reason to call off an impact on the peace process as the issue of trust has been broken,” Ejecito said.

Duterte declared a ceasefire with communist rebels on July 25 but two days later, members of the New People’s Army allegedly ambushed a group of government militias in Davao del Norte.

Over the weekend, Edre Olalia, legal consultant and member of the International Legal Advisory Team of the peace panel of the National Democratic Front (NDF), - tion is only binding on the party that declared it.

“Since it is unilateral to one party, i. e. one- sided, any violation can only be committed by the forces of that declaring party,” Olalia said. “So any allegation of a disputed violation by the other unilateral declaration by one party is misplaced,” he added.

if the Communist Party of the Philippines is really sincere in declaring have announced it even after the government decided to lift it.

Recto meanwhile called on the government and the National Democratic Front not to rush into resuming hostilities and continue exploring possibilities for declar

He also appealed to NDF leaders to push through with their

“It is the NDF’s turn to take the high ground by declaring their own unilateral ceasefire. Then they should give the government a period longer than what was given them to respond with its own,” Recto said.