Ceasefire unlikely due to unpeacable Aquino government — CPP
By CPP Information Bureau
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) today said the revolutionary masses and forces under the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), as well as its friends and allies, are to celebrate the 38th founding anniversary of the revolutionary alliance on April 24, coinciding with the Catholic Church's celebration of Easter Sunday. The CPP declared, however, that an "easter ceasefire declaration is highly unlikely" as the Aquino government and its chief negotiator "continue to exhibit unpeaceable attitudes and actions."
"On April 24, there will be mass celebrations of the founding anniversary of the NDFP," said the CPP. "The Filipino people will celebrate the revolutionary victories of the past year even as they aim to achieve bigger victories in the struggle against foreign intervention, government corruption, exploitation and oppression of workers and peasants, unemployment, poverty, militarization, disease and environmental destruction."
"The CPP is not keen on issuing an Easter Sunday ceasefire declaration as the Aquino government continues to show itself as unpeacable with the continued detention of key NDFP negotiators covered by the immunity agreement, as well as hundreds of other political prisoners. The Aquino regime has also undertaken a renewed campaign of extrajudicial killings which has already victimized at least 15 labor leaders, peasant and social activists in a matter of months and intensified the militarization of civilian communities in the rural areas," said the CPP.
"It has also shown a general lack of interest in addressing the socio-economic and political roots of the armed conflict," added the CPP.
"It refuses to heed the demand to put an end to cutbacks in social spending which have resulted in upwardly spralling costs of services, putting them beyond the reach of ordinary Filipinos. It also refuses to address the widespread clamor to abrogate the Oil Deregulation Law which has allowed foreign oil companies to jack up prices at will in their drive for maximum profit."
"The government's chief negotiator Alexander Padilla continues to dish out provocative and unstatesmanly statements that disparage the revolutionary movement", said the CPP.
"He continues to disappoint peace advocates who knew him as a human rights lawyer as he now conducts himself more and more like a spokesman of the fascist Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)."
"The revolutionary forces under the NDFP will continue to engage the Philippine government in peace negotiations as an additional avenue to push forward the agenda of the national democratic revolution," said the CPP. "At the same time, it calls on the Filipino people to continue intensifying mass strugges and the armed revolution to advance their aspirations for national liberation and social emancipation."