The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) denounced the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) for rejecting its unilateral holiday ceasefire declaration, accusing state forces of seeking to disrupt traditional celebrations with intensified military operations.
CPP Chief Information Officer Marco L. Valbuena said the refusal of the AFP and PNP to reciprocate the ceasefire “shows their bloodlust and intention to spoil the traditional holiday celebrations of Filipinos, particularly in rural communities where all-out war is being waged against peasants and guerrilla forces.”
“The knee-jerk reaction of the AFP and PNP to the CPP’s unilateral ceasefire declaration shows that Marcos has nothing to offer the people during the traditional holidays but bullets and bombs, as it orders the AFP and the PNP to mount relentless combat operations in the coming days,” Valbuena said.
He added that the government’s suppression campaign, framed as “peace and development” operations, primarily targets peasant communities suspected of supporting the New People’s Army (NPA).
According to Valbuena, NPA units have remained elusive as they continue grassroots organizing in the countryside.
“The AFP refuses to even grant the people a reprieve from its terrorist activities of aerial bombing, artillery shelling, strafing, killings and arrests, and other human rights violations,” he said.
The CPP Central Committee directed all NPA units on Monday to observe a four-day ceasefire during the holidays. The truce will take effect from December 25, 00:00 to December 26, 23:59, and again from December 31, 00:00 to January 1, 2026, 23:59.
The CPP said the declaration was issued “in solidarity with the people as they hold simple celebrations of their traditional holidays amid grave social and economic conditions.” It also urged members and supporters to commemorate the Party’s 57th founding anniversary on December 26.
The CPP leadership instructed NPA units to remain in “active defense mode” during the ceasefire period, prepared to strike if attacked by government forces.
The Department of National Defense (DND) and AFP dismissed the ceasefire as a ploy. DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said, “Military duties are not subject to pause or seasons; thus, the AFP shall continue to support the PNP in keeping peace and order this holiday season.”
AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. emphasized that operations will continue “unabated to safeguard communities,” while the PNP stressed that law enforcement activities will not be suspended.
Officials argue that past ceasefires were exploited by the NPA to regroup, recruit, and reposition forces, undermining trust in such declarations.
In July, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the AFP to launch a nationwide “full-scale war” against peasant communities and NPA guerrilla fronts, despite his earlier claim that “no more guerrilla groups” exist in the country.
Valbuena said the CPP did not expect a favorable response from the Marcos administration but stressed that the AFP and PNP’s immediate rejection of the ceasefire “bares its fascist and anti-people agenda.” (ZIA LUNA)
