Nina Genalyn Kabiling, Francis T. Wakefield at Fer Taboy

Hindi pa tapos ang usaping pangkapayapaan ng gobyerno sa rebeldeng komunista kahit binawi na ang idineklarang tigil-putukan.

Ito ang tiniyak ni Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Jesus Dureza, kung saan ngayong Lunes ay pupulungin umano ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte kanyang Gabinete na may kinalaman sa usaping pangkapayapaan upang talakayin ang pahayag ng rebeldeng grupo na “sasagot na sana sila sa ceasefire,” ngunit inabot lang ng deadline.

“It is very clear that the President walked the extra mile for peace. And no doubt, he will still continue to do so at any given opportunity,” ayon kay Dureza.

Welcome din kay Dureza ang pahayag ng komunistang grupo na magdedeklara sila ng sariling tigil-putukan.

“After President Duterte ordered last (Saturday) night the lifting of the government’s unilateral ceasefire, the leadership of the CPP/NPA/NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army- National Democratic Front) announced through the media its belated but still strategic and awaited decision to also declare its own unilateral ceasefire,” ani Dureza.

High alert na

Matapos bawiin ng Pangulo ang ceasefire, naka-high alert na ngayon ang Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“In compliance to the Commander-in-Chief’s order, the AFP is immediately issuing the appropriate guidance to all AFP units all throughout the archipelago that the operational guidelines earlier issued in pursuance to the government’s ceasefire declaration is hereby lifted,” ayon kay Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, AFP spokesman.

“All our forces remain on high alert and will resume to discharge their normal functions and constitutional mandated tasks,” dagdag pa nito.

Sinabi ni Padilla na napakawalan ng NPA ang golden opportunity na ibinibigay ng pamahalaan nang hindi ito agad tumugon sa ceasefire.

Ikinalungkot umano ni AFP Chief of Staff General Ricardo Visaya ang pangyayari sapagkat ito na umano ang hinihintay ng sambayanan, ang tigil-putukan.