No ceasefire will be declared by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) this Christmas.

The CPP Central Committee Monday said “it sees no reason to do declare a ceasefire...as the US-Marcos regime and its fascist Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) continue with their relentless state terrorism and armed suppression against the Filipino people."

Marco Valbuena, chief information officer of the CPP-Central Committee said “combat troops of the AFP continue to be deployed to communities of peasants and national minorities and subject civilians suspected of supporting the New People's Army to brutal suppression.”

CPP founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison, 83, who died in Utrecht, The Netherlands, on December 16.

The CPP ordered all NPA units to fall in formation on the break of dawn of December 26 and conduct a 21-gun salute by way of honoring the memory of Sison. It did not say where this activity will take place.

Sison will be interred on December 27, at 10:30-12:30 pm at the Crematorium Daelwijck Floridadreef 7, 3565 AM Utrecht, said Valbuena. DMS