1st LD Writethru: Philippine president declares unilateral ceasefire with leftist rebels

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared Monday a unilateral ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF).

Duterte, in his first State of the Nation Address, said the truce will be effective immediately as he expects the other side to reciprocate the truce.

"I am now announcing a unilateral ceasefire with the CPP-NPA-NDF effective immediately," he said.

He voiced hope that the rebels will reciprocate to his peace offer.

"Let me make this appeal to you ... if we cannot as yet love one another, then in God's name, let's not hate each other too much," he said.

"To the (rebels), let us end these decades of ambuscades and skirmishes. We are going nowhere. And it is getting bloodier by the day," he said.

He also urged the rebels to do the same. "All of us want peace, not the peace of the dead, but the peace of the living."

"We express our willingness to go to the negotiating table, and yet we load our guns, fix our sights, pull the trigger. It is both ironic and tragic - and it is endless," Duterte said.

"That is why, I reach out to you, to all of you today. To our Muslim brothers, let us end the centuries of mistrust and warfare," he added.

Duterte said it is his "goal and dream" that before he steps down from power by 2022, there is already "permanent and lasting peace" with the leftist rebels.

The government peace panel and the rebels are scheduled to formally resume peace negotiations in Oslo, Norway from August 20 to 27.

The Philippine military said the NPA has estimated 4,000 members. The rebels have been fighting the government since 1969 in one of Asia's longest-running insurgencies.

The government has been trying to forge peace with the leftist rebels since 1986, but the on-off talks have faltered many times in the past. Endit