The Philippine government (GRP) has lost to the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) at the end of the unilateral and reciprocal ceasefire which was approved by President Duterte.
Philippine Armed Forces Spokesperson Brig.Gen. Edgard Arevalo
(AP Photo / Bullit Marquez / FILE PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
This was the bold claim of Brigadier General Edgard Arevalo, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), on Tuesday, hours before the expiration of the Yuletide ceasefire implemented by the GRP and the CPP-NPA-NDF from 12 a.m. of December 23, 2019 to 11:59 p.m. of January 7, 2020.
“In the unilateral ceasefire that was declared, the government lost,” Arevalo said.
He cited the “ceasefire violations” of the Reds when they allegedly launched violent attacks against withdrawing troops in Labo, Camarines and Tubungan, Iloilo that resulted in the death of a soldier and wounding of eight others on the first day of the truce.
Earlier, top Communist leader Jose Maria “Joma” Sison belied that the NPA staged the attack, and claimed the rebels merely defended themselves from the on-going combat operations of the military.
Aside from that, Arevalo said the Filipino people lost to the CPP-NPA-NDF, too.
Arevalo said the NPA’s Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) launched operations against civilians in Pantukan, Davao de Oro on December 30 which was eventually thwarted by the soldiers.
Two tribal leaders were also murdered by suspected NPA rebels in Agusan del Sur and Bukidnon on January 1 and January 4, respectively, Arevalo added.
“They were not able to merrily and peacefully celebrate the Yuletide peace deal as intended by government’s declaration of a unilateral ceasefire,” Arevalo said.
With the lapse of the holiday truce, Arevalo said the military will resume its combat operations against the communist groups “with more intensity and focus” starting Wednesday midnight.
“[W]hile the AFP gives primacy to peace process and will submit to the guidance of Commander-in-Chief [President Duterte], we are for localized peace talks given its success owing to the NTF-ELCAC,” Arevalo stated.
NTF-ELCAC stands for the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict, which is tasked to eliminate insurgency in the country through a “whole of nation” approach.
It is being chaired by Duterte, with National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. as the vice-chair.
“Until and unless they abandon the armed struggle, we, in the AFP, are not inclined to recommend any national level truce with this fork-tongued terrorists,” Arevalo said.
Local peace talks
Meanwhile, Esperon reiterated his intention to push for the implementation of localized peace talks at the barangay, city and municipal level instead of a top-level negotiation between the GRP and the CPP-NPA-NDF.
Esperon said the government has had many attempts to end the conflict with the communist rebels since 1986 with over 40 rounds of peace talks conducted and with the same people as negotiators.
“But for the longest time, the peace talks were only used as a period to rest when badly beaten, seek reinforcements, and initiate recruitment. Engaging in another round of peace talks after all these years and all our efforts without significant changes is therefore pointless,” Esperon said.
Data from the military showed that a total of 10,918 communist rebels yielded to authorities in 2019 alone while some 1,860 firearms were either seized or surrendered.
Insincere
Esperon expressed doubts on the sincerity of the CPP-NPA-NDF especially after the violent attacks launched against government troops and civilians while the holiday truce was still in effect.
He also slammed the ambush on soldiers on December 13 which was allegedly perpetrated by the NPA using an improvised explosive device, a method which is a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). The attack claimed the lives of four people, including three civilians.
“That is one clear character of the CPP-NPA-NDF — their pursuit of armed struggle to be victorious over the government at all costs,” Esperon said.
However, President Duterte appeared to have let the attacks on troops and civilians slide as the truce was not stopped.
Duterte has been pushing for the revival of the formal peace negotiations with the Reds since late last year, when he sent Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to the Netherlands for the start of the informal talks with CPP’s Sison.
If everything goes according to plan of the GRP and CPP-NPA-NDF, the peace talks could start this January, according to Sison and other officials involved in the negotiations.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/01/07/afp-says-government-at-losing-end-of-ceasefire-esperon-bats-for-localized-peace-talks/
“In the unilateral ceasefire that was declared, the government lost,” Arevalo said.
He cited the “ceasefire violations” of the Reds when they allegedly launched violent attacks against withdrawing troops in Labo, Camarines and Tubungan, Iloilo that resulted in the death of a soldier and wounding of eight others on the first day of the truce.
Earlier, top Communist leader Jose Maria “Joma” Sison belied that the NPA staged the attack, and claimed the rebels merely defended themselves from the on-going combat operations of the military.
Aside from that, Arevalo said the Filipino people lost to the CPP-NPA-NDF, too.
Arevalo said the NPA’s Special Partisan Unit (SPARU) launched operations against civilians in Pantukan, Davao de Oro on December 30 which was eventually thwarted by the soldiers.
Two tribal leaders were also murdered by suspected NPA rebels in Agusan del Sur and Bukidnon on January 1 and January 4, respectively, Arevalo added.
“They were not able to merrily and peacefully celebrate the Yuletide peace deal as intended by government’s declaration of a unilateral ceasefire,” Arevalo said.
With the lapse of the holiday truce, Arevalo said the military will resume its combat operations against the communist groups “with more intensity and focus” starting Wednesday midnight.
“[W]hile the AFP gives primacy to peace process and will submit to the guidance of Commander-in-Chief [President Duterte], we are for localized peace talks given its success owing to the NTF-ELCAC,” Arevalo stated.
NTF-ELCAC stands for the National Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict, which is tasked to eliminate insurgency in the country through a “whole of nation” approach.
It is being chaired by Duterte, with National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. as the vice-chair.
“Until and unless they abandon the armed struggle, we, in the AFP, are not inclined to recommend any national level truce with this fork-tongued terrorists,” Arevalo said.
Local peace talks
Meanwhile, Esperon reiterated his intention to push for the implementation of localized peace talks at the barangay, city and municipal level instead of a top-level negotiation between the GRP and the CPP-NPA-NDF.
Esperon said the government has had many attempts to end the conflict with the communist rebels since 1986 with over 40 rounds of peace talks conducted and with the same people as negotiators.
“But for the longest time, the peace talks were only used as a period to rest when badly beaten, seek reinforcements, and initiate recruitment. Engaging in another round of peace talks after all these years and all our efforts without significant changes is therefore pointless,” Esperon said.
Data from the military showed that a total of 10,918 communist rebels yielded to authorities in 2019 alone while some 1,860 firearms were either seized or surrendered.
Insincere
Esperon expressed doubts on the sincerity of the CPP-NPA-NDF especially after the violent attacks launched against government troops and civilians while the holiday truce was still in effect.
He also slammed the ambush on soldiers on December 13 which was allegedly perpetrated by the NPA using an improvised explosive device, a method which is a violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL). The attack claimed the lives of four people, including three civilians.
“That is one clear character of the CPP-NPA-NDF — their pursuit of armed struggle to be victorious over the government at all costs,” Esperon said.
However, President Duterte appeared to have let the attacks on troops and civilians slide as the truce was not stopped.
Duterte has been pushing for the revival of the formal peace negotiations with the Reds since late last year, when he sent Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to the Netherlands for the start of the informal talks with CPP’s Sison.
If everything goes according to plan of the GRP and CPP-NPA-NDF, the peace talks could start this January, according to Sison and other officials involved in the negotiations.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2020/01/07/afp-says-government-at-losing-end-of-ceasefire-esperon-bats-for-localized-peace-talks/
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