Duterte is still willing to walk an extra mile for peace. After the deadline was given for the communist group to response on his call to the unilateral ceasefire last weekend. According to the Presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza, the president would summon the Cabinet on Monday to talk about the peace efforts with the communist’s group after they made a “belated” yet “strategic” decision in reciprocating the truce.
Dureza cited that the President has walked the extra mile for peace and no doubt, he will still continue to do so at any given opportunity. The communist group was welcomed by Dureza to declare its true even if it was way too late for the given deadline of the President last Saturday afternoon. He then said that he presented his corresponding recommendations to Duterte and the Cabinet.
The leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army- National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDC) announced its belated yet strategic and awaited decision through media to also declare its own unilateral ceasefire last Saturday night after President Duterte ordered to lift the government’s unilateral ceasefire.
The CPP-NPA-NDC has already had the plan to declare their own ceasefire with the government on Saturday night at 8 p.m. The founding chairman of the Communist Party of the Philippines criticized the decision of the President for being impulsive in revoking the ceasefire and bullying the group to do whatever he wanted. In defense, Dureza said that the President has been patient and prudent in dealing with the communist group. He cited that even the President has considered a friendly approach with a friendly gesture in his first State of the Nation Address, last July 25, 2016.
The cease-fire declared by the President aimed to stop the violence and safeguarding the public to provide an enabling environment for the resumption of the peace talks.