Ceasefire in Philippines

The President of Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, recently declared ceasefire with the insurgent forces in the country, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.

About the Rebellion

The ongoing rebellion/ insurgency, called the CPP-NPA-NDF Rebellion, has been going on for more than half a century. It is one of the longest running rebellion in Asia. It is the conflict between the Philippine government and the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist coalition forces.

The Rebels

The rebels are from 3 groups: Communist Party of Philippines (CPP), New People’s Army (NPA) and National Democratic Front (NDF). The rebel forces make use of guerrilla warfare tactics to attack the government forces. They are known to raid towns and outposts and even levy ‘revolutionary taxes’ on private firms.

President Duterte

Rodrigo Duterte is the oldest person to assume the Presidency in Philippines. He is noted for his ‘war on drugs’ and alleged use of extra-judicial killing of drug users and peddlers. In 2016, he directed a government panel to restart peace talks with the communist rebels. The talks were suspended in 2017.