Honor truce

GOVERNMENT peace panel chair Silvestre Bello III yesterday called on the communist movement to honor and respect the unilateral ceasefire declared by President Rodrigo R. Duterte, saying he was saddened over the recent attack against government troops by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Davao del Norte.

In a statement, Bello expressed disappointment that the NPA failed to honor the unilateral ceasefire with them.

NPA rebels reportedly attacked a convoy of Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) members at Sitio Pilapil, Barangay Gupital in Ka-

palong town.

One militiaman, identified as Panggong Bukad, whom the NPA rebels described as leader of a paramilitary group Alamara, was killed in the attack while four others were wounded.

Duterte, upon learning about the incident, threatened to withdraw the ceasefire if there is no accepted explanation from the Communist Party of the Philippines (CCP/NPA).

"Are we in this truce or are we not? Give me an answer by tonight (Thursday) because pag tomorrow (Friday) wala tatangalin ko (ang ceasefire)," Duterte said.

Duterte yesterday visited the headquarters of the 60th Infantry Battalion (IB) in Asuncion in Davao del Norte to pay respect to the slain Cafgu leader.

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella, during a press briefing, said that Duterte is giving the CPP-NPA a "bief window of opportunity" to issue their explanation.

Abella, however, cleared that the incident would not derail the resumption of the peace talks between the government and the communist rebels.

In response, the NPA's Compostela Valley-North-DavaoSouth-Agusan Sub-Regional Command, owned the attack, which it claimed "in adherence to the directive issued by NPA's National Operation's Command to maintain alert status and active defense mode."

In a statement e-mailed to Sun.Star Davao yesterday, Aris Francisco, spokesperson for the NPA's sub-regional command, instead accused the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of violating the unilateral ceasefire after the Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA) under the 72nd Infantry Battalion (IB) launched a military operation at Sitio Muling, Brgy. Gupitan, Kapalong last Wednesday morning.

Francisco said the military and the Alamara have been active in conducting operation in Kapalong which resulted into an armed encounter last July 5. One NPA rebel died from the clash.

He claimed the high ranking officials of the AFP are deceiving Duterte by saying that they violated the unilateral ceasefire.

"The NPA guerrillas were able to detect their movement enroute to what the military and the paramilitary purported to be fixed NPA targets some 20 kilometers away from their detachment. Had the Red fighters not taken the initiative to actively defend itself by intercepting the 72nd IB and Alamara, the operating AFP troops would have carried out its own combat action and inflicted damage against the NPA unit," the statement said.

Francisco said they will continue to abide byu the ceasefire to pave way for the resumption of the peace talks.

10th Infantry Division (ID) spokesman Capt. Rhyan Batchar, for his part, denounced the allegation that the CAAs were conducting military operation in Kapalong when they were spotted by the NPA rebels.

"The CAAs were deployed to Barangay Gupitan and nearby Sitio Kapatagan last July 16. It was supported by an operation order. Wala pang declaration si President Duterte that time," Batchar told Sun.Star Davao in a phone interview yesterday afternoon.

Batchar said that CAAs were ordered to go back to camp in compliance with the unilateral ceasefire order.

The route from Sitio Muling back to the camp usually takes four days but the CAAs took the shortcut route that cut their trip to two days.

"Unfortunately, naabutan sila ng mga NPA. Isa ang patay while ang apat ay stable na ang condition," Batchar said.

Even the side of the 10th ID would want to hear the explanation from the NPA's side on why they have violated the unilateral ceasefire.

Bello said he had already talked to NDF panel member Fidel Agcaoili regarding the incident and he was informed that as far as the latter knows, the NPA is on active defense mode since July 26.

Agcaoili, Bello said, had promised to look into the matter as the NDF is committed to resume the peace negotiations with the government to address the roots of the armed conflict.

Bello said the government will await the results of NDF’s verification on the matter. (With Sunnex)