Duterte revokes truce, asks army to fight Communist rebels

Manila, Feb 3 (Xinhua) Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte said on Friday that he has decided to lift the ceasefire with the Communist rebels, ordering the government troops "to go back to (military) camps, clean your rifles, and be ready to fight".

Duterte had ordered General Eduardo Ano, the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, to terminate the ceasefire effective Friday night, Xinhua news agency reported.

"(I made the decision) last night. I called Gen. Ano and decided to lift the ceasefire tonight. No more ceasefire." Duterte said in a speech in North Cotabato.

He said the government has lost "so many soldiers in 48 hours" rendering the truce useless anyway.

"Sorry. I would like to express my sadness. I tried my best but my best wasn't good enough," he said, apologising for his decision to scrap the truce.

"I went out of my way, walked the extra mile, just to look for an opening where I can find peace for my country."

Duterte's statement came barely three days after the Communist Party of the Philippines announced that its unilateral truce with the government would end on February 10, saying the Duterte administration failed to heed its demand to free some 400 political prisoners as part of the ongoing peace talks with the government.

The rebel group also accused the Philippine military of taking advantage of the truce situation to encroach on areas controlled by the rebels.

--IANS

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