Sinabi ni Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque na notoryus ang NPA at Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) sa mga pag-atake sa kabila ng ipinatupad na ceasefire ng gobyerno.
“The CPP-NPA is notorious for conducting treacherous attacks even when there was unilateral ceasefire in the past during which we have lost scores of our brave defenders. Declaring a SOMO now is not to the nation’s best interest as it would only expose our defenders to enemy attacks and embolden them to commit more attrocities, especially during their anniversary,” ayon kay Roque.
Tiniyak ni Roque na nakahanda ang mga tropa ng gobyerno sa mga pag-atake ng NPA.
“Our defenders would not stand down as there has been call on the other side to launch offensives against state forces,” dagdag ni Roque.
Nauna nang idineklara ni Pangulong Duterte ang NPA bilang teroristang grupo.
“However, we do not discount possibilities that there may be circumstances that may arise for government to reconsider its present position,” dagdag ni Roque.