President Fidel V. Ramos; President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo; Secretary Delfin Lorenzana; and the members of the Cabinet; Lieutenant General Eduardo Año and the major service commanders; excellencies of the diplomatic corps; former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile; Most Rev. Leopoldo Tumulak; the men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines; my beloved countrymen.

I congratulate your organization, as it celebrates its 81st founding anniversary. The AFP is the bedrock of our democratic ideals, since it is mandated to be the protector of our people and the guarantor of a stable state.

As you observe this momentous occasion, may you all be reminded of your pivotal role in ensuring and sustaining the operational readiness of your units while being prudent so that your actions would strictly adhere to the international humanitarian law, human rights, and the rule of law.

As your Commander-in-Chief, I take pride in your successes, one of which is the culmination of the six-year Internal Peace and Security Plan Bayanihan.

Undoubtedly, the IPSP Bayanihan has proven a positive impact on the AFP, making it to have a better image, a moral high ground against the threat groups and the decrease of human rights violation of our troops.

I also commend you for implementing a new campaign plan which is attuned with our government long-term vision of peace described in the AmBisyon Natin 2040.

That it is the conversion of a security developmental and governance strategies so that we would foster inclusive growth.

Before I proceed and I forgot, I am sorry. General Palisoc, could you give the tikas pahinga?

Guided by your Roadmap to Peace and full commitment to the peace process, the AFP shall also support the Office of the Presidential Assistant on the Peace Process, as we seek a permanent, political, and social economic solution to the continuing armed conflicts, particularly in Mindanao.

We will likewise conduct focused military operations against the Abu Sayyaf Group and the other local and foreign terrorist groups and continue to strive to restore civil order in the conflict-ridden areas.

As I have mentioned before in my State of the Nation Address, the AFP shall enhance its capability to search and engage these lawless elements to the full force of the AFP will be applied to the crush these criminals who operate under the guise of religious fervor.

We will also strengthen our coordination with Indonesia and Malaysia to suppress the kidnappings in the waters of our neighboring countries just as we expand cooperation and the human assistance, disaster response, maritime security, and counter-terrorism.

We shall also continue to upgrade our capabilities to the AFP Modernization Program, focus on maintaining the high state of morale of our men and women by delivering health and wellness services to our personnel, particular those who are deployed in the field by enhancing the capabilities of tertiary and secondary hospitals and facilities.

Finally, we shall also rationalize the way we manage our facilities by crafting a master development plan for all AFP camps and bases as a basis for future development.

All of these reforms shall be not be felt by the people whom we have sworn to serve and to protect, but will remain as mere plans if we are not one with us in our collective vision to make our country better.

I ask you to embolden yourselves to epitomize the AFP’s core values of honor, service, and patriotism.

I hope that this occasion will inspire and empower you even more to serve the country with as much passion and zeal that you possess.

Mabuhay kayong lahat.

Ito ‘yung gawa ng opisina. [applause and laughter]

I said it because you know, I am not into reading speeches, you know that. I always want my, the inner core of my person, makita ninyo.

Now, as agreed with some of the local religious leaders, I will honestly ask you, sincerely, for a ceasefire beginning December 23 hanggang 27, then sa New Year, sa 31st hanggang January 2, 3.

Depende na lang po on the response of those who we would like to embrace as our brothers.

Sa mga NPA, for the Communist Party of the Philippines, although you did not declare any cessation of hostilities sa, somewhere.

I would like to invite everybody: leave your arms where they are ngayon, and you can come down sa siyudad, wherever you leave, you visit your family.

Alam mo ‘yung mga tao na nandoon sa bukid, who’ll join the NPAs, I’m sure you have not seen, or if at all, in fleeting moments with your family, I would like you to come down and be with your family on Christmas day.

I guarantee you na walang aresto, walang opresyon, wala sa lahat. At kung magsalubong kayo ng sundalo ng Pilipinas, sundalo ko, mag-kamay lang kayo.

O pag ayaw mo, huwag mo na lang tingnan. [applause] Para—

And like the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, na ito sa, this is not really mine, this is a collated suggestion from the religious, from the well-meaning residents of the country and those who are involved in the peace process and I agree with them. It’s time for a cessation of hostilities. Pati na ang mga MI pati MN. Asalamalaykum.

Magbaba kayo, spend time, it’s not your festivity but it’s ours Christians and we would like you to share the moment with us.

Sa military camps, you know, I have released one billion kasi binigay ni Andrea Domingo sa PAGCOR, five. I released one billion doon sa mga tao sa Pilipinas na may hawak ng riseta ngayon. Good because I am televised nationally:

Kayo pong mga Pilipino na may hawak-hawak na mga medisina, management, nag-release po ako ng one billion para bilihin ‘yung mga medisina ninyo. Pumunta lang kayo doon sa DSWD [applause]

Taguiwalo is a very good administrator kasi kinulong natin ‘yan siya noon ng ilang taon kaya nagsisilbi na siya sa atin. She belongs to the Left, actually. She was imprisoned during the martial law years. But she is our DSWD and she’s very good, very honest. So I am comfortable with the amount that I am giving her para ‘yung lahat ng — lahat ng kailangan na medications at least sa Pasko na ‘to. Next year, then I’ll worry for another one billion.

Then I released also one billion sa mga tao na under medication, who are undergoing rehabilitation sa addiction. Kasi po, wala po akong pera ngayon. I said I entered the government midterm and was of— the bottoms up, what was left for me or to me was just a maintenance and operating money.

I scraped the barrel, the bottom of the barrel to come up with something for you, for everybody and for our enemies because sabihin ko sa mga military camps, kayo hong sa Armed Forces, especially the Army, kindly open your gates and allow the people to have, to break bread with you even on Christmas day.

I will be releasing— I don’t know if we can still make it but ang ating anon a lang is mga canned goods. Anyway, this is not to offend anybody.

Ang pinaka— alam ninyo yan. Ang pinaka masarap sa Lumad, sa bukid is really the udong and the sardinas. That is the pinaka ano nila ‘yan .

So we’ll try to figure out how we can buy these, all of these things before Christmas and the stocks flown to you immediately. Pati na NPA papasukin.

I’d like to address myself to the NPAs:

Pumunta ka sa kampo ng mga military, kumain kayo. Puro canned goods lang ‘yan because I am not — you know my drift against preparating— preparation for the overnight, the danger of saniotation. you know, contamination and all. ‘Yun ang mga magagandang de lata.

‘Wag na tayong — ibuhos mo lang ‘yan, wala nang luto-luto, except the udong.

I would like to ask the camp commanders na magbili na lang kayo ng cauldron, udong pati sardinas ang pinaka masarap para sa kanila.

For the others, yung mga NPA, bigyan niyo ng barbeque o pansit o ano para — at saka kayong mga NPA, wag kayong matakot. Bumaba kayo. Total ano ito, I guarantee you that there’s a ceasefire and I would like to declare it officially on my part so that you can, I said, go home to your families. All of you, except the criminals.

Kayong mga terrorist pati mga kidnappers diyan. I don’t like to see you. I don’t like to deal with you. Except pag criminals which are totally unacceptable to me.

Revolutionaries: NPA, MI, MN: you can come down, be with your family, enjoy the celebrations and we will pray together para — who knows in the fullness of God’s time baka magka-areglo tayo especially the communists, they’re going well.

I talked with Maria Sison the other night and so I hope the intelligence was listening very carefully. Baka may intriga na naman that I conceded this, I conceded that. I do not concede anything of this Republic.

This Republic of the Philippines has its own powers and prerogatives. None of it will be surrendered to the enemies of the state but I cannot for the life of me, be forever fighting.

This is a time which we all, it’s a, nakakatamad eh, nakakatamad mag away ng Pasko, mga NPA, mga MI, MN.

Pero yung mga Maute pati —sorry na lang, you just burned so many buses the other day? Was it yesterday? You’ll have to pay for that and it will be no quarters given, no quarters asked. Alam naman ninyo ‘yan. Ganun talaga. That is how it is.

So with that message I hope that I can balance the – the weight of civilization at least in the meantime that we are here.

And me I again congratulate the awardees. Alam mo sa totoo lang, kung paramihan, mas marami ako sa inyo kasi lahat ng kampo, ito ang binibigay mabigat o. Ibigay ko sa’yo ito mamaya, pero ito lang. Ipa-reconfigure ko lang, kopyahin ko yung mga cross-cross diyan para may gold cross ako.

Alam mo talaga hindi ninyo alam pero bilib ako. When I salute you, ang sabi diyan, the protocol is ako ang mauna magbaba tapos kayo. Yung mga valor, kasi ang titigas ninyo, bilib ako and for the wounded, ako talaga una ang — the other awardees these are the heroes.

Hindi ko kasi kayang maging hero eh kaya pasunud-sunuran lang ako sa kanila. At least may consuelo ako meron ako nito. Ipagyabang ko. Pero wala kang ano ito, kung matapang ka ba o duwag ka o ano ba. Pero I’m happy to be here and I said congratulations and I salute you, the Armed Forces of the Philippines. [applause]