The Philippine Army and the National Democratic Front/New People’s Army traded accusations of violations of the holiday truce following the death of a soldier and the wounding of six others in an alleged ‘ambush’ in Camarines Norte.
The Army said the attack was a clear violation of the agreed ceasefire, but the National Democratic Front of the Philippines denied the accusation, saying that it did not violate the truce.
In a statement, Fidel Agcaoili, chairperson of the NDFP negotiating panel, said the rebels only defended themselves against armed attacks.
“These were defensive actions by the NPA units involved in the face of armed attacks and sustained military operations by the AFP and the PNP [special operations unit], as attested to in separate statements issued by the Romulo Jallores Command, New People’s Army, Bicol, and the Napoleon Tumagtang Command, New People’s Army, Southern Panay,” the NDFP said.
“The statements belie the malicious charges in the press releases earlier issued by the concerned units of the AFP and PNP on the incidents,” it added.
Agcaoili said that the NDFP has yet to receive copies of the SOMO (Suspension of Military Operations) and SOPO (Suspension of Police Operations) to be issued by the military and the police.
Army Commanding General Gilbert Gapay, however, said that “in light of this development, other means of peaceful resolution such as localized peace talks need to be considered.”
In his report, Gapay said that troops of the 92nd Division Reconnaissance Company were returning to their base due to the suspension of military operations when they were attacked on Sunday midnight.
He also condemned the use of a landmine in the ambush as it was a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
Gapay added that a police personnel was wounded in a separate NPA attack in Tubungan, Iloilo less than an hour after the Camarines Norte ambush.
“We just hope that the CPP-NPA will not miss this opportunity by staging these senseless attacks, especially during a time when the nation celebrates the season of love, peace and unity,” Gapay said.
President Rodrigo Duterte earlier directed Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to talk with self-exiled Communist Party of the Philippines founding chairman Jose Maria Sison over the possible resumption of peace negotiations.
On Sunday, the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines declared ceasefire for the holiday season and to create an enabling environment for the possible resumption of peace talks.
The ceasefire will last until Jan. 7.
Meanwhile, a militant lawmaker has welcomed the holiday truce between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines in preparation for the formal resumption of peace negotiations.
“We welcome the declaration of a nationwide ceasefire from both the GRP and the NDFP beginning midnight of December 23, 2019 to midnight of January 7, 2020,” ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro said.
“To be able to achieve just and lasting peace, government should be able to address the roots of armed conflict which are worsening poverty for the majority of the Filipino people and intensifying culture of impunity and injustice. The resumption of the peace negotiations is a step towards achieving just and lasting peace.”
Castro said in times of worsening poverty and intensifying attacks on human rights, the possibility of the resumption of the formal peace talks is most welcome to the Filipino people who long for just and lasting peace.
“We urge the people to continue to struggle for just and lasting peace. Voice out our support for the peace talks and our demands as the parties are set to talk about the Comprehensive Agreement on Socioeconomic Reforms,” Castro said.
The government and the Communist Party of the Philippines have declared a 15-day “unilateral and reciprocal” ceasefire from Dec. 23 to Jan. 7, 2020.
President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the reconstitution of the government negotiating panel for the peace talks with the CPP-National Democratic Front-New People’s Army”•an official move toward the revival of the negotiations which the commander-in-chief terminated in November 2017.
The new panel will now include Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea as among its members.