GRP okays ceasefire with NDF in Mindanao
The Philippine government (GRP) yesterday accepted the offer of the National Democratic Front (NDF) for a cessation of hostilities in Mindanao to enable their forces to combat, in disjointed operations, terrorist groups wreaking havoc in Marawi City and other parts of the country.
The GRP peace panel, through its chairman Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, welcomed the NDF’s pronouncement “reaffirming their support to the Philippine government’s fight against Maute, Abu Sayyaf, Ansar Al Khilafah Philippines
(AKP) groups and other terrorist organizations” operating in the country.
In a statement, Bello said government peace negotiators “appreciate the NDF’s commitment in their declaration to refrain from undertaking offensive operations in Mindanao to enable the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police to focus their attention on the war against terror groups.”
“These voluntary gestures and expressions from the NDF in solidarity with government against acts of terrorism augur well for the desired continuation of the stalled 5th round of peace talks as they provide, if sustained, the needed enabling environment favorable to moving the peace negotiations forward,” Bello added.
The Philippine government, according to the panel, “hereby correspondingly reciprocates with the same declaration of not undertaking offensive operations against the New People’s Army to pave the way for the eventual signing of a mutually agreed bilateral ceasefire agreement” and other substantive agreements related to the peace negotiation.
“Likewise, the Philippine government hereby unequivocally recommits its adherence to all previously signed agreements, including specifically, but not limited to, the Joint Agreement on Safety and Immunity Guarantees (JASIG),” the GRP statement added.
According to the panel, “the Philippine government commits to continue to maintain this needed enabling environment in step with the NDF’s own commitment to do the same.”
The peace negotiators also expressed their “appreciation to the Royal Norwegian Government’s steadfast and indefatigable support and assistance to the entire process and for trusting that efforts are being exerted towards a final peace agreement.”
Last Saturday, the NDF declared that communist rebels “stand firmly with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) in opposing and fighting terrorism, terrorist groups, and acts of terrorism.”
The NDF explained that “as a matter of fundamental principle and constant policy,” communist rebels “condemn and combat terrorism.”
“We condemn and are resolved and determined to counteract the Maute, Abu Sayyaf and Ansar Al Khilafah Philippines (AKP) 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 and other foreign entities,” the NDF stressed.
The rebel group disclosed that it has already directed its allied group operating in Marawi City, the Moro Resistance and Liberation Organization (MRLO) “to assume home defense tasks against the Maute, Abu Sayyaf and AKP groups.”
According to the NDF, “the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) has also directed units of the New People’s Army (NPA) close to Marawi City to redeploy for the purpose of mopping up, holding, and blocking operations, if necessary.”
The NDF also declared its readiness “to discuss and agree in detail with the GRP on how ceasefire, coordination and cooperation can be achieved in Marawi City by both forces unilaterally keeping safe distances between each other.”
“For all forces to be able to concentrate against Maute, Abu Sayyaf and AKP groups,” the NDF announced that it has “recommended to the CPP to order all other NPA units in Mindanao to abstain from carrying out offensive operations against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP), provided that the GRP order the AFP and PNP likewise to abstain from carrying out offensive operations against the NPA and people’s militia.”
Peace Corridor In a related development, Peace Corridor volunteers from both the Philippine Government (GPH) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) recently facilitated the retrieval of three civilians trapped in the conflict in Marawi City.
In a statement, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP), said the total number of retrieved civilians has already reached 240 since June 4.
The Joint Coordination, Monitoring, and Assistance Centers (JCMAC) in Marawi received a call from an emissary early Friday morning on the location of the three civilians.
JCMAC, which is manning the Peace Corridors, reported that the retrieved Marawi residents were consolidated at Masjid Bato, a mosque within the city proper.
The retrieved civilians went through identification processing at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) as well as medical check-up at the Lanao del Sur Provincial Health Office.