NPA spokesman Jorge 'Ka Oris' Madlos (CPP photo)
(UPDATE - 9:18 a.m.) Communist rebels welcomed the agreement between the National Democratic Front of the Philippines and the government to continue peace negotiations and restore their respective unilateral ceasefires that were scrapped early last month.
But until the leadership of the Communist Party of the Philippines issues instructions on a new unilateral ceasefire, the New People’s Army said it was “ready to confront and counter the offensives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in order to defend the people, especially the peasant masses and minority groups, from the abuses perpetrated by the AFP.”
In a related development, Communist Party of the Philippines founder Jose Ma. Sison expressed his 'deep appreciation' to President Rodrigo Duterte 'for deciding to continue the peace negotiations' he had ordered terminated early last month.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Sison, who is also chief consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, also confirmed that he has “been hospitalized for some time” but was “on the way to full recovery” and “helping in the preparations” for the fourth round of formal talks scheduled for the first week of April.
He had first taken ill and been hospitalized during the third round of talks in Rome in late January.
The agreement to resume the talks as well as to forge a bilateral ceasefire was reached in informal talks on March 10 and 11 in Utrecht, The Netherlands, where exiled rebel leaders, including Sison, are based.
Sison said it was "in the people's interest ... to pursue the forging of a peace agreement" that would "uphold the sovereignty and independence of the Filipino people, strengthen democracy for the exploited and oppressed people, create the conditions for economic development through land reform, national industrialization and expansion of social services and benefits, promotion of patriotic and scientific culture and peace and development in a multipolar world."
NPA spokesman Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos noted, in a separate statement, that the military had taken literally Duterte’s March 9 order for state security forces to mount air strikes against the rebels and “flatten the hills” regardless of “collateral damage” and “become more frenzied in its crazed war against the people.”
The controversial order, given in the wake of an NPA ambush that killed four policemen in Davao del Sur, earned criticism from human rights groups that warned Duterte could be held accountable for war crimes if civilians are harmed in carrying out his instructions.
Madlos cited alleged air strikes by at least three attack helicopters in Barangay Cabuyuan, Mabini, Compostela Valley on March 11 that drove some 200 residents to flee their homes and the even larger evacuation of at least 3,000 families in Maguindanao province following bombing runs in Barangays Gawang, Tee and Andavit in Datu Salibo town.
Even before Duterte’s order, Madlos said, “since February, the AFP has been conducting aerial bombings against peasant communities including those in Laak, Compostela Valley; in Bansalan, Davao del Sur; in Asuncion, Davao del Norte; in Fatima, Davao City; in Alabel, Sarangani and elsewhere.”
“Thousands have been forced to evacuate as a result. The AFP has also threatened to conduct aerial bombing in Assipulo, Ifugao and Maddela, Quirino forcing hundreds of families to evacuate,” he added.
He also cited the alleged rounding up of 200 residents of Barangay Caylaway in Nasugbu, Batangas who were reportedly taken to a school in the village and interrogated.
Aside from these, he accused state agents of murdering at least 15 peasants around the country
In the face of these, Madlos said, “it is the obligation of the NPA to counter the AFP's frenzied war against the people.”
At the same time, he called on Duterte to “restrain the AFP and command it to stop its acts of state terrorism against the people in order to prepare the ground for a meaningful ceasefire in line with the continuation of peace talks.”
http://interaksyon.com/article/137737/rebels-to-counter-govt-operations-until-ceasefire-restored
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