Palace tells CPP: Don’t use truce to recruit new members

Malacañang has reminded the Communist Party of the Philippines’ New People’s Army not to use the 19-day ceasefire to recruit new members and to stockpile firearms. Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte on Saturday said both sides had agreed to undertake goodwill measures in good faith, and the truce should not be exploited for purposes other than peace. “We hope the ceasefire will not be used for any purpose other than what was agreed upon," Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. According to her, the government peace panel negotiated in good faith and it expects “other parties that come to the negotiating table to act in the same manner." On Friday, Malacañang and the CPP-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) announced they had talks in Hong Kong. Both camps have initially agreed to hold peace talks in February 2011, even as the Philippine government will observe a ceasefire from Dec. 16 to Jan. 3. Valte also noted the hold-departure order on NDFP chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni has been lifted, and that he is free to come back to the country “under any capacity." “We will operate within the bounds of the law, our policy at the beginning is we will negotiate in good faith," she said. — LBG, GMANews.TV