Off the wire
• Urgent: Philippine president lifts unilateral truce with rebels  • Commentary: Seoul should stop playing with fire by planning to deploy THAAD  • China warns of typhoon, floods  • Slovenian press sees business opportunity in Putin's visit  • Chinese living Buddha funds construction of Bangladesh pagoda  • Two wild pandas spotted on southwest China highway  • Belgium arrests two suspects over plotting terror attacks  • Burundi's reconciliation body seeks partnership with NGOs  • Kuwaiti male quarantined in suspected MERS case at Bangkok hospital: official  • Weather forecast for world cities -- July 30  
You are here: 　 Home

1st LD: Philippine president lifts unilateral truce with rebels

Xinhua, July 30, 2016 Adjust font size:

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte lifted Saturday night his unilateral declaration of ceasefire with the leftist rebels and ordered the security forces to be "on high alert."

In a statement released at 7:00 p.m. local time, Duterte said, "Let me now announce that I am hereby ordering the immediate lifting of the unilateral ceasefire that I ordered on July 25 against the communist rebels."

The president withdrew the truce declaration after the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) failed to meet his ultimatum for the rebels to reciprocate the truce until 5:00 p.m. local time Saturday.

He issued the ultimatum after the rebels ambushed a group of paramilitary in southern province of Davao del Norte two days after he declared the unilateral suspension of offensive military operations during his first State of the Nation Address.

A militiaman was killed and four others were wounded in the attack. Endit