MANILA, Philippines - With the military launching an all-out war against communist rebels, President Duterte yesterday revealed his disappointment with the Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF), saying they “went overboard.”
Duterte has ended the government’s ceasefire with communist rebels after six months and ordered troops to get ready to resume fighting after the guerrillas lifted their own truce and killed soldiers in fresh attacks.
Duterte made the decision two days after the NPA abandoned their own ceasefire, citing the government’s refusal to release more political detainees and accusing the military of encroaching into their rural strongholds.
Duterte said the rebels made unreasonable and excessive demands that prompted him to also drop the government’s ceasefire declaration and scuttle the peace talks.
“I terminated the ceasefire talks because they went overboard,” Duterte told the gathering at the 115th founding anniversary of the Bureau of Customs yesterday.
Duterte revealed his sentiments anew while he directed Customs chief Nicanor Faeldon to pursue the bureau’s campaign against corruption and lauded the increase in revenue collection.
Read the full story at The Philippine Star