President Rodrigo Duterte says he will consider nationwide martial law if the New People’s Army steps up attacks.

When asked if he would expand martial law coverage nationwide, President Duterte said “all options are on the table”.

Speaking to reporters in Taguig City last week, the President said it would be the threat posed by the New People’s Army (NPA) more likely to push him to expand martial law’s geographic coverage.

READ MORE: Duterte thanks Congress for extending martial law in Mindanao

If the NPA – armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) – intensifies its recruitment of new members and steps up attacks such as they are about to topple the government, Duterte said he would consider nationwide martial law.

“If the NPA say they are recruiting in mass numbers and they create trouble and they are armed and about to destroy government, the government will not wait until the dying days of its existence,” said Duterte.

Ultimately, he said, any decision for him to proclaim martial law across the country is “up to the enemies of the state”.

He stressed, however, that he would listen to the military and police.

“To what extent, what level of atrocities, attacks, it is not for me to say that. It is for the Armed Forces and the police,” said the President.

During the joint session where Congress debated Duterte’s request to extend martial law in Mindanao by one year, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon warned that the President’s recommendation sounds like a “prelude” to nationwide martial law.

Some lawmakers insist there is no legal basis for martial law extension, saying there is no state of rebellion or invasion of Mindanao.

Duterte, however, said frequent ambushes by the NPA and attacks by terrorists prove there is a state of rebellion in Mindanao.

“Count how many died there. Count how many died today all over Mindanao. My police are ambushed everyday, also my military. There is actually rebellion in Mindanao, it’s ongoing,” he said.

Congress voted overwhelmingly in favour of the martial law extension until December 31, 2018.

Pia Ranmada is a journalist for Rappler, the independent Indonesian and Philippines multimedia social action website.

By Bea Cupin in Manila

A ceasefire between Philippines government forces and communist rebels could be in place by the end of the month, if the Duterte administration responds favourably to a new statement from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

“To further support peace negotiations, the CPP is willing to issue a unilateral ceasefire declaration separately but simultaneously with the Duterte government on August 20. The time-frame can be determined through negotiations,” the CPP’s Central Committee said in a statement yesterday.

The statement comes a day after Duterte took back a “unilateral ceasefire” against communist rebels barely a week after it was announced during his first State of the Nation Address.

“As earlier planned, the negotiating panels of the NDFP [National Democratic Front of the Philippines] and GRP [Government of the Republic of the Philippines] can thereafter exchange these declarations in order to discuss points for cooperation and coordination and determine ways of preventing armed skirmishes, misunderstandings, and miscommunications during the course of the peace talks,” added the CPP, referring to the planned talks between the two sides beginning August 20 in Oslo, Norway.

On July 25, while addressing Congress in his first State of the Nation Address, Duterte announced the ceasefire “to immediately stop violence on the ground, restore peace in the communities, and provide enabling environment conducive to the resumption of the peace talks.”

Police and military units on the ground were ordered to stop all offensive operations against the communist rebels.

But things went awry when NPA fighters supposedly attacked government militia in Davao del Norte.

Duterte gave the communist groups until July 28 to explain the clash. The next day, he called on the NDF to issue is own unilateral ceasefire and gave a deadline: July 30, 5 pm. By July 30 in the evening, Duterte revoked the truce, and military and police units returned to status quo.

Government attack?
The CPP, however, contested the government’s narration of events.

“In its report, the NPA unit pointed to how they were provoked to carry out the ambush as part of its active defence in the face of an imminent armed encounter with the operating armed troops and auxilliary forces of the 72nd IB of the AFP,” it said.

The NPA unit merely “carried out counter-maneouvers” in response to movements by the AFP and government militia.

“NPA Red fighters immediately disengaged after disabling the enemy unit from carrying out further offensive action,” the CPP said of the operation, which claimed the life of at least one government militiaman.

The CPP also noted that a truce with the government was “non-existent” because a “mutually signed ceasefire agreement” had yet to be inked.

Still, the CPP said it “has long expressed willingness to engage in a ceasefire for as long as there are peace negotiations.” It noted that since June, it has been preparing a “draft for a unilateral ceasefire” ahead of peace talks with the Duterte administration.

“It was a different situation, however, when GRP President Duterte unilaterally declared a ceasefire even before it could fulfill its promises to release NDFP consultants and political prisoners,” said the CPP, referring to one of the key points it wants to discuss during negotiations.

The CPP also insisted that despite pronouncements from the President, the military showed no signs of “letting up in their search-and-destroy operations and frenzied offensives that terrorise civilian communities.”

Bea Cupin is a journalist with Rappler Philippines.