Maoists tear up December truce

The Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing the New People's Army called on the Filipino people to "intensify their revolutionary mass struggles and armed resistance."

Their uprising began in 1969 and the December 20 truce, which followed the first talks in more than a year, was due to run until January 15.

But the Maoists said they would stop the ceasefire at noon today as that was when the government's "suspension of offensive military operations" was due to end.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government would observe the ceasefire until January 15, saying the Maoists were coming up with "stumbling blocks to peace."

In turn, they said Mr Aquino's government had "waged a campaign of suppression" and imposed martial law on peasant communities campaigning for land reform.

The Filipino military says the Maoists have around 4,000, down from more than 26,000 in the 1980s.

The December 20 ceasefire was itself an extension of one declared on December 5 to aid humanitarian work in areas hit by Typhoon Bopha.

The UN said earlier this week that more than 40,000 families are still without emergency shelter kits.

More than 1,000 people were killed by the category-five storm and nearly 850 are still missing.