As truce crawls on, NPA accuses Army militias of attacks in Caraga

From the Philippine Daily Inquirer (Dec 30, 2019): As truce crawls on, NPA accuses Army militias of attacks in Caraga (By Jigger J. Jerusalem)

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY—The communist New People’s Army (NPA) on Sunday (Dec. 29) accused the military of launching an attack on rebels in the Caraga region on Dec. 23, the start of a 15-day holiday truce between rebels and the government.

Nicolas Marino, NPA spokesperson for the guerrillas’ north central Mindanao command, said the military’s 26th Infantry Battalion staged attacks against NPA forces near the village of San Vicente in Esperanza town, Agusan del Sur province.

The NPA spokesperson said four militiamen attacked an NPA camp in the area, leading to a gunfight that lasted for about 2 minutes. No casualt was reported, though.

In a statement, Marino said the attack was a violation of the truce.

On Dec. 23, clashes were also reported between NPA and the military at the village of Baay, Labo town, Camarines Norte province which killed a government soldier and wounded six others.

Clashes were reported, too, at the village of Singon, Tubungan town, Iloilo province, which wounded two policemen.

The violence broke out at the start of the truce which rebels and the government separately declared but which was to last until Jan. 7, 2020.

The military and police blamed the clashes on NPA but rebels claimed they were just defending themselves.

The rebel spokesperson, Marino, said the government’s ceasefire declaration would be a “deception” if President Rodrigo Duterte would not unite the military, police and government militias to support the truce.

The Army’s 402nd Infantry Brigade had earlier announced that several towns in the Caraga region had joined a protest movement protest against NPA.

During the 51st anniversary of Communist Party of the Philippines on Dec. 26, residents and local officials of Butuan City, Cabadbaran City, the towns of Remedios T. Romualdez, Kitcharao, Nasipit,

Buenavista and Surigao City, joined the protest, condemning rebels in the region.

“The support of the civilian population for the military indicates the NPA has lost the support of the common folk,” said Brig. Gen. Maurito Licudine, head of the 402nd IB.

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