Ceasefire holding; Joma is optimistic

By FROILAN GALLARDO
Special Correspondent

BUTUAN City — Despite a shaky start, the 15-day Christmas ceasefire between the government appeared to be holding.

Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison said this would raise the prospects of reviving the stalled peace negotiations.

“There are complaints of violations but the Philippine government is not withdrawing. Nor shall the Communist Party,” Sison told reporters in Butuan City via Skype from Ultrect, Netherlands last Dec. 30.

“I think, on the whole, the ceasefire will be a success. I don’t foresee any action by the government that could spoil the ceasefire,” Sison said.

Communist rebels called off a plenum and mass wedding of their supporters in Bacuag, Surigao del Norte on Monday as soldiers swarmed the venue.

Ka Oto, spokesperson of the New People’s Army (NPA) Front 16, informed  a group of reporters invited to cover the plenum not to proceed anymore because the situation was “unsafe.”

Sison said the deployment of Army soldiers in Bacuag town was “ a hostile and provocative action.”

“It was not enough to pull out. There is no great cause for the NDF to withdraw from the negotiating tables,” Sison said.

The government also accused the communist rebels of violating the truce when NPA rebels attacked a police and Army units in Camarines Norte and Iloilo killing a soldier and wounding several policemen last Dec. 23.

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said President Duterte decided to slide the incidents and continue the ceasefire.

Sison said the success of the 15-day ceasefire, which would end on Tuesday, Jan. 7, could pave the way for another informal meeting of both parties by the second or third week of January.

He said the informal meeting is a preparation for the formal resumption of the peace talks to be held most likely in Oslo.

Saying it is too early, Sison said he is ready to meet Duterte “one-on-one” in Hanoi as suggested by the government panel.