MOSCOW (Sputnik) — According to the Philippine leader, the decision to lift the ceasefire regime has been caused by continued attacks conducted by the rebels and their growing demands.
"I ask the soldiers, go back to your camps, clean your rifles, and be ready to fight," Duterte said blaming communists for the collapse of peace talks between them and Manila, as quoted by the Philippine Star newspaper.
He added that the peace between the government and the rebels would not be reached in the nearest years and the country would not have a "peaceful generation."
Manila has been fighting against the NPA, which is an armed wing of the country's Communist Party, for years. The conflict has already claimed lives of dozens of thousands of people. The rival sides have repeatedly announced ceasefire to hold peace negotiations, but almost 40 rounds of peace talks had not taken effect.