The military has vowed to conduct an intensified and focused operations against New People’s Army (NPA) beginning today (Wednesday) with the expiry of the holiday cease-fire between government and communist rebels.
“They [rebels] can expect that combat operations shall resume with more intensity and focus as soon as the clock strikes 12 midnight of January 8, 2020,” said military spokesman Brig. Gen. Edgard Arevalo.
Arevalo said the military also favors the ongoing talks with rebels on the local level, a track that the government pursued when President Duterte scuttled the peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) more than a year ago.
“And while the AFP gives primacy to peace process, and will submit to the guidance of the Commander in Chief, we are for localized peace talks, given its success owing to the NTF-Elcac [National Task Force on End Local Communist Armed Conflict],” he said.
The cease-fire between the rebels, through the Communist Party of the Philippines and the government, took effect on December 23 in a bid to pave the way for the resumption of the talks with the rebel leadership based in the Netherlands and the Duterte administration.
Arevalo said the government “lost” in the unilateral cease-fire that was observed, given the atrocities committed by the other side while it was in effect.
He cited the killing of a soldier and the wounding of six others in Labo, Camarines Norte, on December 23 2019, when the NPA ambushed the troops while they were returning to their camp in observance of the cease-fire.
“At about 7:30 a.m. of same date, the terrorist NPA detonated an antipersonnel mine they laid for the policemen in Tubungan, Iloilo. Two policemen were wounded and the police car was severely damaged,” Arevalo said.
The military spokesman said “the people lost too” during the cease-fire, noting the three cases of attacks perpetrated by the rebels against civilians on December 30.
“Soldiers thwarted the attack, thereby neutralizing two and wounding two from the attackers. However, a soldier and a Cafgu active auxiliary were wounded-in-action,” he said.
“Two separate incidents of tribal leaders murdered for refusing to follow the evil dictates of the members of terrorist group NPA were recorded,” he said, noting the killings of Bontola Mansinugdan of the Higaynon Tribe in Esperanza, Agusan Sur, and Sammy Diwangan of the Umayamnon tribe in Cabanglasan, Bukidnon.
“Indeed, as NDFP [chairman] Mr. Luis Jalandoni arrogantly declares: We see that peace negotiations are another form of legal struggle…in order to advance the revolutionary armed struggle,” Arevalo said.
Still, Arevalo said that for last year, the government saw the reduction of a total of 10,918 in rebel manpower that included members of its underground mass base organizations and auxiliary forces.