MANILA - THE Philippine government on Tuesday declared a Christmas holiday cease-fire with communist rebels, but the guerrillas did not immediately say if they would reciprocate with their own cease-fire as they have done in the past.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the military will suspend offensive military operations against the 5,000-strong New People's Army on Dec 24-25 and Dec 31-Jan 1.

There was no immediate response from the Maoist Communist Party of the Philippines, which will mark its 40th anniversary on Dec 26.

Last year, the government's unilateral cease-fire ran for a longer period - from Dec 16 to Jan 13. Mr Ermita did not explain why it was shorter this year. The rebels then declared their own truce for Dec 24-25 and Dec 31-Jan 1.

In an informal meeting brokered by Norway in Oslo early this month, rebel negotiators rejected an indefinite cease-fire pushed by the government as a condition for resuming formal talks stalled since 2004.

The rebels suspended the talks after accusing the government of including the Communist Party and its military arm - the NPA - in US and European lists of terrorist organisations. -- AP