CAGAYAN DE ORO. On November 27, Bishop Calang of Iglesia Filipina Independiente talks to the kin of the two soldiers being held captive by one of the units the New People’s Army based in Bukidnon. The relatives are pleading for the safe release of their loved ones. Finally, the military softens and agrees to a four-day stand down to pave the way of the release of its two soldiers captured by the Maoist guerillas. (Joey P. Nacalaban)
THE military is considering on extending its temporary ceasefire from three to four days, but it has maintained its “stand down” policy to allow the New People’s Army (NPA) to release its captive soldiers in areas in Bukidnon, an Army official said.
In his November 24 letter to Bukidnon Governor Jose Maria Zubiri, Colonel Jesse Alvarez, commander of the Philippine Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade, said they are amenable to a four-day stand down, a term the military used instead of suspension of military operation (Somo).
Zubiri is the head of the local crisis committee and one of the government officials, who’s working with church leaders, to ensure the safe release of the captured soldiers.
“… on the three days duration of the STAND DOWN, we are flexible as possible, so we are considering four days duration,” Alvarez said in his letter, which was provided by the third-party peace negotiators to the media Thursday.
On the usage of terms, Alvarez has clarified the definition of stand down.
“We define ['stand down'] as temporary cessation of hostilities and as such, when a stand order is given to our troops in the field, they will remain in their present location,” he said.
Dictionary.com defines stand down as a temporary cessation of offensive actions.
No pulling out of troops
“Definitely, there will be no pulling out of troops from our operational area except on the areas that will be directly affected by the [release] of the two kidnapped soldiers,” he added.
It can be recalled that Private First Class Marnel Cinches and Private First Class Jerrel Yorong were captured by NPA members in a village in Impasug-ong, Bukidnon on August 22, a few weeks after the town’s mayor, Mario Okinlay, was killed by the Maoist fighters.
In a previous interview, Major General Oscar Lactao, commander of the Philippine Army’s 4th Infantry Division (4ID), said Cinches and Yorong should not have been taken by force by the insurgents in the first place since at the time of the abduction, they were not armed and were not on combat mode.
Alvarez added the other concern of the military is on the area that the captive soldiers may be freed by the NPA.
“On the cluster of barangays, these are barangays that are directly near the vicinity of the possible area where the release of our kidnapped soldiers will happen. This cluster of barangays may be part of one or two municipalities and will not cover wide range of area,” he said.
Alvarez added: “We prefer that if ever they (NPA) will release our kidnapped soldiers, they will do it in Bukidnon since the kidnapping was done here.”
NPA amenable with reduction of area of coverage
In its November 5 letter to Zubiri, Cesar Renerio, spokesman for the National Democratic Front-North Central Mindanao (NDF-NCM), said the NPA has agreed to reduce the area of coverage where the temporary military operations will take place.
These areas include the clusters of barangays in Cabanglasan, Malaybalay City, Impasug-ong and Manolo Fortich in Bukidnon, and the adjoining clusters of barangays in Gingoog City and Claveria in Misamis Oriental.
Renerio’s letter was also sent to Bishop Felixberto Calang, of the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) and Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, of the Roman Catholic Church, officials of the Philippine Ecumenical Peace Platform (Pepp) and representatives of the local third-party facilitators, Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, Misamis Oriental Governor Yevgeny Vincente Emano, and Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Oscar Moreno.
Calang said there was no reply yet from both Zubiri and the NPA as of Thursday, November 27.
Meanwhile, the relatives of Cinches and Yorong went to see Bishop Calang to get some updates of the negotiations on Thursday, November 27.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cagayan-de-oro/local-news/2014/11/28/army-insists-stand-down-379027
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