ASIA/PHILIPPINES – Communist rebels announce a Christmas truce, the army continues its operations

Manila – The New People’s Army has announced a truce in its conflict with the Philippine Army for December 25 and 26, as well as from December 31 to January 1. The Communist Party of the Philippines, the political wing of the rebel movement, described this as a “unilateral ceasefire” of four days for Christmas, announced “as a sign of solidarity with the Filipino people, who are trying to observe their traditional holidays in a simple way amidst serious social and economic conditions.” At the institutional level, Undersecretary Ernesto Torres Jr., executive director of the National Task Force to combat the communist insurgency, described the ceasefire announcement as “empty and unverifiable.” “There was no coordination with the government, and there is no mechanism for shared responsibility,” he said, reaffirming that the Philippine Armed Forces “will continue to fulfill their constitutional duty to protect the citizens.” Torres, meanwhile, urged NPA members to accept the amnesty and the offer of a reintegration program, lay down their weapons, and embark on a “path of reconciliation.”
“The Philippine people welcome, promote, and pray for peace during the Christmas holidays, because a ceasefire is always a good thing,” commented Father Sebastiano D’Ambra , a long-time missionary in Mindanao and involved in the Silsilah Movement for dialogue, to Fides. “In Mindanao,” the missionary noted, “some areas are controlled by communist rebels affiliated with tribal groups.” “Another source of tension arises from the presence of radical and violent Islamist groups,” said Father D’Ambra, who hopes that “Christmas 2025 will be a time of peace, a time to heal wounds and build authentic and sincere relationships between Christians and Muslims, as well as between people who are estranged, such as soldiers and rebels.”
The New People’s Army is a communist guerrilla group that began its activities in 1969 and is an expression of the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist revolutionary party founded in 1968 by José Maria Sison. Its goal is to overthrow the Philippine government and establish a socialist state through armed guerrilla warfare. The conflict has claimed approximately 40,000 lives over more than 50 years. Following a series of conflicts involving guerrilla warfare and attempts at negotiations, the collapse of the 2019 ceasefire has led to an intensification of military repression in the areas where the movement operates, namely rural areas in Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. In 2023, NPA forces controlled approximately 200 villages, compared to 1,300 in 2008. The government estimates the group now has around 1,500 armed fighters. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has announced that the military will completely eradicate the NPA by 2028.

Read original article