Palace slams NPA attack despite its cease-fire

MALACAÑANG ON Wednesday slammed the New People’s Army (NPA) — the armed wing of the united communist movement under the National Democratic Front (NDF) — following a military update that rebels attacked government troops delivering aid to victims of a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in Surigao del Norte even amid a unilateral cease-fire declared by the armed group itself.

In a statement, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto C. Abella described the attack as “a clear violation of the armed group’s cease- fire declaration,” adding that state forces will continue in its humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations in the quake-rattled region.

“It would even serve the purpose of the members of the NPA if they engage more in confidence building activities rather than that which confirm their terrorist status to which [President Rodrigo R. Duterte] has relegated them,” Mr. Abella added.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday reported that troops and members of the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation were attacked by NPA rebels in Barangay Linunggaman, Surigao del Norte, while returning to Surigao City after distributing relief goods to earthquake victims.

But the rebels, as also reported by ABS-CBN, denied that report by the military.

To recall, the NPA declared a unilateral cease- fire in Surigao del Norte and nearby areas to “enable the delivery of immediate aid,” Ka Ariel Montero, the NPA spokesperson in the quakehit region, said in a statement.

Mr. Montero added that the unilateral cease- fire, which started on Feb. 11 and will end at 11: 55 p. m. of Feb. 20, was to give both leftist fighters and state forces “the opportunity to inspect the areas affected, especially the mountain areas, for damages resulting from the earthquake.”

The NPA’s temporary ceasefire declaration came on the heels of the government’s cancellation of security guarantees for communists negotiators who took part in the since- terminated peace talks.

To recall, Mr. Duterte called for the cancellation of peace talks between the government and the communist groups following reports of encounters on the ground even amid an ongoing cease-fire, which both parties junked at length.

Prior to the NPA’s declared temporary cease- fire, the AFP appealed to the rebels to spare the province from attacks to allow soldiers to respond via relief efforts.