By SHIELA MAE BUTLIG
and NITZ ARANCON
Correspondents
MISAMIS Oriental Gov. Yevgeny Vincente Emano has expressed apprehensions over the National Democratic Front’s decision to end its unilateral ceasefire, saying he feared this would take a toll on the province especially its tourism and agriculture sectors.
Yesterday, President Duterte also lifted the government’s unilateral ceasefire.
Emano said he feared that skirmishes would take place in the province again, and then result in the displacement of people.
“The ones who will be directly affected and will suffer will be the people especially the farmers,” he said.
Emano volunteered to talk with local stakeholders, including the NPA in the province, if the national government would allow him.
He said he wanted to meet with representatives of the Armed Forces and the NPA to avert violence from breaking out in the province.
“Nagahinaut gihapon ako nga adunay pay luna sa duha ka grupo para sa ceasefire aron matagamtaman ang kahusay ug kalinaw,” said Emano.
Vice Gov. Jose Mari Pelaez meanwhile called on the NPA to “give peace a chance.”
Pelaez said, “First of all, we support President Duterte’s peace-building efforts. We want peace in our country in order to foster more development that would benefit our people.”
He said the government had provided confidence-building measures by freeing political detainees, and by ordering the military and police not to launch offensives.
“We earnestly appeal to them to give peace a chance based on the realities of our modern economic society,” Pelaez said.
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