Temporary unilateral ceasefire while on alert and heightening spirit of resistance to celebrate the Party’s 50th anniversary

December 3, 2018

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) hereby declare to all commands and units of the New People’s Army (NPA) and people’s militias a temporary unilateral ceasefire in unity with the Filipino people’s observance of traditional holidays and provide the people and their revolutionary forces a brief period to pay tribute to their heroes and martyrs as they mark and celebrate the Party’s upcoming 50th anniversary.

This unilateral declaration of temporary ceasefire shall be in effect on the following period:

12:01 a.m. of December 24, 2018 to 11:59 p.m. of December 26, 2018


12:01 a.m. of December 31, 2018 to 11:59 p.m. of January 1, 2019

During the days covered by this temporary ceasefire declaration, all units of the NPA and people’s militias shall cease and desist from carrying out offensive military campaigns and operations against uniformed armed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Philippine National Police (PNP) of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP).

With this temporary unilateral ceasefire declaration, AFP soldiers and PNP personnel can also take a brief leave from their incessant but mostly fruitless military offensives to visit their families during the holidays. Those who wish to visit their families and friends in areas within the guerrilla territories of the NPA can do so freely so long as they have not committed any crime and there are no outstanding warrants for their arrest.

However, all units and commands of the NPA are directed to stay on alert for active defense mode during this temporary ceasefire period. All Red fighters and commanders shall maintain a high degree of militancy and vigilance against hostile actions or movements by enemy armed forces, including those laying siege on communities and subjecting people to armed suppression and violence in the guise of so-called “peace and development operations” or “law enforcement,” and those mounting combat operations with the aim of encircling units of the NPA.

At no point during this temporary unilateral ceasefire period should the NPA leave the people defenseless and place their units in danger. This temporary unilateral ceasefire can be cut short or canceled if AFP military offensives, armed suppression against communities and attacks against activists by the Duterte regime worsen in the next few days and weeks. On the other hand, it can also be extended by a few days if positive conditions arise.

All Party organs and NPA units must continue to closely assess the situation, monitor enemy movements, immediately report the situation and any incident on the ground.

Temporary unilateral ceasefire amid Duterte all-out war of suppression

We are declaring this temporary unilateral ceasefire in solidarity with the traditional observance of Christmas and New Year holidays, which this year coincides with the special celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines.

The Central Committee declares this 5-day temporary unilateral ceasefire amid all-out military offensives by the US-Duterte regime in the countryside and relentless attacks against the legal democratic movement and all opposition forces which compel the people to heighten all forms of resistance against the regime’s ruthless armed suppression, mass murder, terrorist violence and brazen exercise of absolute power.

The all-out military offensives being mounted by the AFP compel the NPA to mount tactical offensives to counter enemy armed suppression and repel the violence being inflicted by the Duterte regime and the AFP against the people.

Celebrating the CPP’s 50th anniversary through heightened resistance against the US-Duterte regime

Duterte’s cruel and ruthless all-out war compel all revolutionary forces to wage firm resistance while celebrating the upcoming 50th anniversary of the CPP. In the coming year, let us celebrate the victories and achievements of the Party and people by waging relentless struggle.

Let us celebrate 50 years of unrelenting revolutionary struggles by the Filipino people guided by the correct leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines. Let us also look forward to the bright future of greater revolutionary victories as the crisis of the ruling semicolonial and semifeudal system worsens rapidly and compels the people to bring their national democratic revolutionary struggle to greater heights and closer to complete victory.

The Central Committee urges all revolutionary forces to celebrate the Party’s upcoming 50th anniversary on December 26 by heightening all forms of resistance against the US-Duterte fascist regime. We must all struggle arduously to frustrate Duterte’s scheme of extending martial law in Mindanao, exercising de facto nationwide martial law powers, giving the military full control of various government agencies and programs and employing the military and police to manipulate the results of the 2019 elections to ensure local government control by pro-Duterte and pro-AFP officials and put congress under his majority control in order to push charter change for his federalism project next year so he can impose his dictatorship with the support of allied regional warlords and political dynasties.

The US-Duterte regime is pipedreaming when it declares it can completely defeat the armed revolution by middle of next year. It is set on being roundly frustrated as the NPA continues to gain strength nationwide, mount tactical offensives, carry out agrarian revolution with the peasant masses and build organs of political power across the entire country.

The US-Duterte regime is extremely hated by the people for its tyranny, corruption, mass killings, overlordship of shabu smuggling and drug trade, excessive foreign loans, burdensome taxes, inflation and other anti-people economic policies, subservience to the US and sellout to China. Determined to oust Duterte from power and make him account for all his crimes, the Filipino people are bound to unite and rise up in greater numbers in the coming months, pushing the military and police to withdraw support in the same way manner that Marcos and Estrada were ousted from power.

With the Party’s leadership and inspired by 50 years of victories, the Filipino people are ever determined to wage resistance against the ruthless attacks of the US-Duterte regime. Duterte’s overthrow will be a glorious victory for the Filipino people.

A thousand clandestine rallies, meetings and assemblies

Duterte has directed the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to launch all-out attacks to prevent the masses from mounting large assemblies on December 26 in the vain hope of suppressing the people’s celebration of their revolutionary victories and achievements during the CPP’s 50th anniversary.

We call on all Party organs, units and commands of the New People’s Army (NPA), all revolutionary mass organizations, activists and supporters of the revolutionary cause to mount a thousand clandestine meetings, assemblies and mass rallies across the nation, inside and outside the guerrilla base areas, in their schools, offices and homes, as well as abroad in the coming weeks and months. Duterte and his military cabal will be blind and deaf as hundreds of thousands mark the Party’s golden anniversary.

The revolutionary people are set to recite poems, sing and dance in joyous celebration of their victories and achievements attained with the Party’s leadership and guidance, even as they further strengthen their determination to wage arduous resistance against the US-Duterte fascist regime and persevere in difficult struggle for however long it takes to end the semicolonial and semifeudal system and achieve complete national and social liberation.