CITING recent attacks by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA), President Rodrigo Duterte, in his April 24 public address, threatened to declare martial law.

There have been at least 15 encounters between government troops and the NPA between April 7 and 24. Majority of the encounters occurred after April 15, when the unilateral ceasefire of the government lapsed, though the NPA is still officially observing its own unilateral ceasefire.