NDF moves for ceasefire with gov’t, cooperation against Maute

DAVAO CITY – The National Democratic Front (NDF) has urged the New People’s Army (NPA) to refrain from carrying out attacks against Philippine government (GRP) forces as it expressed willingness to discuss a ceasefire and potential team up against the Maute Group in Marawi City.

In a statement released Friday, June 16, NDF chair Fidel Agcaoili said he made the recommendation to the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) that the Reds halt offensives but maintain defensive operations against Maute, Abu Sayyaf, and Ansar Al Khilafah Philippines (AKP).

“For all forces to be able to concentrate against Maute, Abu Sayyaf, and AKP groups, the NDF has recommended to the CPP to order all other NPA units in Mindanao to refrain from carrying out offensive opera

tions against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP), provided that the GRP order the AFP and PNP likewise to refrain from carrying out offensive operations against the NPA and people’s militia,” he said.

The NDF is the CPP’s negotiating arm, while the NPA is its military wing.

Agcaoili said the NDF has already instructed the Moro Resistance and Liberation Organization (MRLO) within Marawi to assume home defense tasks while the CPP redeployed NPA units close to the besieged city “for the purpose of mopping up, holding and blocking operations, if necessary.”

But in an interview with CPP founder and NDF consultant Jose Maria Sison last month, he admitted that the communist negotiating panel does not exercise control over the NPA. Ready to negotiate He said they are ready to discuss ceasefire with the government as well as how coordination and cooperation can be achieved in Marawi with both forces “unilaterally keeping safe distances between each other.”

During the Mindanao Hour at the Royal Mandaya Hotel last June 8, Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said cooperation between the government and communist forces was unlikely if the latter insists on lifting martial law and the all-out war policy against them.

It can be recalled that President Rodrigo Duterte placed Mindanao under military rule last May 23, a few hours after the ISIS-linked Maute oc- cupied Marawi.

“To show that the CPP-NPA-NDF is truly in pursuit of peaceful coexistence, they must stand against a common enemy without conditions. A potential cooperation is unlikely with the statement of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines that it would cooperate with the government in fighting the Maute group if we would lift the declaration of martial law and withdraw our all out war policy. The Duterte administration would rather pursue that path of genuine dialogue to build the nation worthy of its citizens,” Abella said.

Agcaoili said the NDF has supported the government in its efforts to fight terrorism.

He maintained that they condemn terrorism, which he described as “actions that intimidate, terrorize, harm and murder civilians solely or mainly and in violation of human rights and international humanitarian law.”

“We condemn and are resolved and determined to counteract the Maute, Abu Sayyaf and Ansar Al Khilafah Philippines groups which are wreaking havoc in Marawi City. These are terrorist groups linked to local reactionary forces, affiliated with ISIS and supported by US-CIA (United States-Central Intelligence Agency) and other foreign entities,” he said.