03 February 2017•Update: 05 February 2017
By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
President Rodrigo Duterte announced the end to a cease-fire with communist rebels on Friday, ordering troops to ready themselves for action, local media reported.
The unilateral truce was terminated two days after the New People’s Army (NPA) announced its withdrawal from the cease-fire from Feb. 10.
Since then, seven soldiers have been killed and three captured by the NPA.
“There'll be no peace in this land with them,” Duterte said in a widely-broadcast speech in town, North Cotabato province. “They said they're ending it on Feb. 10 but many of my soldiers have already died.”
The president said that it was “pointless to continue with the ceasefire... it will not produce anything.”
He added: “I am asking the soldiers: Go back to your camps, clean your rifles and be ready to fight.”
Duterte said the truce, which he announced in his first State of the Nation address last year, would end Friday evening.
Peace advocates expressed concern at the lifting of , saying it threatened the peace process between the government and the communists. Talks aimed at ending decades of bloodshed were held in Italy last week but ended with no deal on a permanent peace. They are due to resume in Oslo in April.
The insurgency has been running since 1968. It has claimed 30,000 lives, according to the military, and stagnated development.
