The military on Thursday called as “unfortunate” the attack by suspected members of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Davao del Norte of a team of militiamen, despite the cease-fire that is being observed by the government with the rebels.
At the same time, military officials ordered their men to remain vigilant and be on the defensive mode against any further plans by the guerrillas to exploit the situation, as they hoped the NPA would reciprocate the cease-fire.
“This is an unfortunate incident at the time that the government has declared a unilateral cease-fire and the Armed Forces has declared a Somo [suspension of offensive military operations],” military public affairs office chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said.
Alleged members of the NPA’s Southern Mindanao Regional Committee Guerrilla Front 43 ambushed a team of Cafgu Active Auxiliary (CAA) on Wednesday morning in Sitio Kamunoan, Barangay Gupitan, Davao del Norte.
As a result, one CAA was killed, while four others were wounded.
“The military personnel were withdrawing from their forward deployment in compliance to the cease-fire when they were ambushed by suspected members of the NPA belonging to GF34, SMRC,” Arevalo said. The reported attack happened while the military and even the Philippine National Police are observing a cease-fire with the rebels, as ordered by President Duterte during his State of the Nation Address on Monday.
The suspension of police and military operations, however, have yet to be reciprocated by the rebels through their political group, Communist Party of the Philippines, and their umbrella organization, the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. The ambush followed the rebels’ seizure of four policemen, whom they are now treating as prisoners of war, also in Davao del Norte on Sunday.
Government negotiators are currently working for their release.
Despite the latest incident, Arevalo said the military leadership has reiterated its directive to all commanders and ground units to observe the ordered suspension of operations against the NPA in deference to the orders of their Commander in Chief.
“We hope that the death of our personnel be taken to be a manifestation of our sincerity to the quest for peace, even as we are hopeful that they [Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines] will declare their own Somo soon,” Arevalo said.
The NDFP and the government are set to resume peace negotiations on August 20, following the release of the rebels’ peace talks consultants currently held in various jails around the country.