AFP to NDF: Keep ceasefire
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) urged the National Democratic Front (NDF) to reconsider their threat of lifting their unilateral ceasefire as ordinary civilians’ lives will be at stake.
The NPA threatened to go on an offensive after a combatant was killed in a gunbattle with soldiers in Makilala, North Cotabato and killed a New People’s Army (NPA).
Lieutenant Colonel Harold Argamosa, commander of the 39th IB in Poblacion, Makilala, Cotabato, following the clash with the lawless armed group, called on NDF officials not to pull out the unilateral ceasefire as countless citizen would be affected once the truce ended.
“My statement is for the higher authorities of NDF to consider their action because remember the lives of the simple people are at stake,” he said.
Last August 2016, the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army declared an indefinite unilateral ceasefire in response to an indefinite unilateral ceasefire declared by the government a week before as peace negotiations between government and the CPPNPA-National Democratic Front started.
Argamosa denied the allegation of the NDF that they broke the AFP’s unilateral ceasefire saying they were simply responding to an
extortion report received by their office after four armed men harassed a driver of a truck and forcibly got his key.
Following the incident, the manager of the truck driver sought the assistance of the Makilala Police Station and the military, leading to a pursuit operation against the suspects, who turned out to be rebels.
During the pursuit, an exchange of gunfire resulted to the death of the suspect which was later identified as a member of NPA based on the recovered possession of the cene-of-the-Crime Operatives (Soco) who processed the incident site and examined the recovered cadaver of the slain which include three high-powered rifles, three improvised explosive devices.
Also recovered from the site of incident were 15 backpacks loaded with personal belongings, two handheld radios, assorted medical supplies and 5 extortion letters. JCR(For full story visit www. sunstar.com.ph/davao/)