2 days after truce, NPA stages ambush

From Malaya Business Insight (Jul 28): 2 days after truce, NPA stages ambush

THE Armed Forces yesterday said there have been no reported skirmishes with communist New People’s Army rebels since President Duterte declared a unilateral truce with the communists last Monday afternoon.

“These are good signs,” said AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, adding he hopes this continues so that there will be smooth resumption of the formal peace talks next month in Norway.

He spoke too soon, as later in the afternoon, the military said a militiaman was killed in an ambush staged by the NPA in Davao del Norte.

Four other militiamen were wounded.

Brig. Gen. Ricardo Nepomuceno, commander of the Army’s 1003rd Brigade, said the troops were attacked as they were returning to their base in Sitio Patil, Barangay Gupitan in Kapalong town because of the ceasefire declaration. He said the soldiers from the Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion were pulled out from an offensive operation in compliance with the ceasefire declaration.

The Communist Party of the Philippines said it would soon reciprocate the government truce and asked NPA forces to be on “active defense mode.”

Nepomuceno said the militiamen from the Army’s 72nd Infantry Battalion were traveling on foot when they were waylaid by an undetermined number of rebels in Sitio Kamunoan, Barangay Gupitan at around 6:30 a.m.

“That is the risk of the unilateral ceasefire,” said Nepomuceno, referring to the ambush, the first to be conducted by the NPA during the government ceasefire period.

“We were supposed to keep our guard up against such attacks (during the ceasefire), we were anticipating it,” he said.

Nepomuceno said the militiamen, numbering 20 men, were able to put up a fight until the rebels withdrew.

“We will still adhere to the unilateral ceasefire and this will be treated as law enforcement operation. If applicable (in the ceasefire), we will conduct law enforcement operation against the lawless armed group that perpetrated this,” said Nepomuceno.

AFP chief Gen. Ricardo Visaya earlier instructed military commanders to comply with the President’s declaration.

Padilla said normal law enforcement operations will continue during the implementation of the ceasefire but would not categorically say if government troops would continue conducting patrols.

“I wouldn’t want to answer the details for now because that will be part of the discussions during the formal negotiations. What we can say is that we are implementing a unilateral ceasefire, suspending offensive operations against the NPA,” he said.

The Philippine National Police yesterday declared a suspension of police operations (SOPO) with the NPA.

In a memorandum to all police regional offices, Director Benjamin Magalong, acting deputy PNP chief for operations, said the SOPO would mean that all police units “shall refrain from initiating tactical police operations against the CNN (CPP-NDF-
NPA)… but the SOPO shall not cover normal law enforcement operations.”

He added that service of arrest warrants against identified wanted rebels will continue.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/2-days-after-truce-npa-stages-ambush