Philippines president ends truce with Maoist rebels
Rodrigo Duterte says cease-fire is pointless after 7 soldiers killed

By Hader Glang
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines
President Rodrigo Duterte announced the end to a cease-fire with communist rebels on Friday, ordering troops to ready themselves for action, local media reported.
The unilateral truce was terminated two days after the New People’s Army (NPA) announced its withdrawal from the cease-fire from Feb. 10.
Since then, seven soldiers have been killed and three captured by the NPA.
“There'll be no peace in this land with them,” Duterte said in a widely-broadcast speech in
The president said that it was “pointless to continue with the ceasefire... it will not produce anything.”
He added: “I am asking the soldiers: Go back to your camps, clean your rifles and be ready to fight.”
Duterte said the truce, which he announced in his first State of the Nation address last year, would end Friday evening.
Peace advocates expressed concern at the lifting of
The insurgency has been running since 1968. It has claimed 30,000 lives, according to the military, and stagnated development.
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