MANILA. Administration senatorial candidate Ralph Recto called on Saturday the Armed Forces and the New People's Army to declare a ceasefire during Holy Week in spite of the arrest of Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo, a former negotiator of the National Democratic Front.

Recto said the process of silencing the guns of conflict during the solemn week should not be impeded by the detention of Ocampo, who he said could be eventually exonerated if the truth is on his side.

To set the truce in motion, Recto said either the government or the NDF can declare a unilateral ceasefire which can be matched by a similar declaration by the other party.

"It doesn't matter who will declare first. The important thing is that any ceasefire call will be met by a similar call," Recto said.

"If possible let us have the truce from Palm Sunday to Easter Sunday," he said.

The senator stressed that combatants of both parties could use the respite in battle to reflect and think about the future of the nation.

"Lent is a time for praying not fighting," Recto said.

At the same time, Recto and another administration bet Michael Defensor urged the government to review its anti-insurgency campaign in Metro Manila.

The two noted the AFP's moves to stop left-leaning groups seeking party list seats from campaigning were only backfiring.

Recto and Defensor said Bayan Muna only gained more popularity instead of being curtailed in their campaigning.

"You would think everything that happened was a product of Bayan Muna's think tank.

The government is not attaining its objective to stop them, if that is the objective," Defensor said.

Defensor and independent senatorial candidate Francis Pangilinan likewise reiterated calls on the military to speed up the withdrawal of its troops in Metro Manila slums because it was unconstitutional.

Pangilinan said "the troops should be pulled out and in their place, the Philippine National Police be given the assigned task. Their presence is of doubtful constitutionality.

"There is no lawless violence, no rebellion nor invasion in National Capital Region and therefore no basis to deploy the Armed Forces as contemplated by the Constitution," he added.