NPA urges Duterte: 'Rein in your troops'

From InterAksyon (Oct 18): NPA urges Duterte: 'Rein in your troops'



Military checkpoint in Lanao del Norte. Photographed by Erwin Mascarinas, InterAksyon

The New People's Army on Tuesday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to "tame" the military, which the rebels accuse of continuing to mount counterinsurgency operations in disregard of the government's unilateral cease fire.

"It is increasingly apparent that ... President Duterte has no control of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) as his orders to the soldiers to become friendly with the revolutionary forces are outrightly [sic]  being disregarded," Jorge "Ka Oris" Madlos, the NPA's national spokesman, said in a statement.

He also warned that "continuing hostilities directed against the NPA and revolutionary forces endanger the indefinite cease fire."

The government and the rebels earlier separately declared indefinite unilateral ceasefires ahead of the resumption of formal peace negotiations. Both sides have also agreed to hammer out an indefinite bilateral cease fire to hasten talks intended to end the close to half-century long communist armed struggle.

However, the rebels have accused government troops of ignoring the cease fire by continuing to carry out operations or occupying hinterland communities.

Lately, two peasant leaders in Compostela Valley province, Jaime Saypan and Joselito Pasaporte, were murdered by suspects Madlos said were "militiamen under the command of" the Army's 10th Infantry Division.

And in the Bicol region, he said, "NPA leader Edwin Dematera and his companion Den de la Cruz were arrested while traveling in Magallanes, Sorsogon Cruz last October 4."

Madlos also disclosed that the military has embarked on a public relations campaign "to justify the hostile operations ... in contempt of the indefinite cease fire."

"Over the past week or so, AFP personnel have been doing the rounds of radio stations, newspapers (and) social media web sites to defend and justify the hostile counter-insurgency operations" being carried out under the counterinsurgency program called Oplan Bayanihan, he said.

In the guise of civic action, Madlos claimed, "combat troops of the AFP conduct intelligence operations in the hope of identifying leaders of local mass organizations and community leaders of the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines)."

He said residents of areas occupied by the military "have been lining up to join the NPA to defend their rights."

To prevent escalation and a possible collapse of the cease fire, Madlos urged Duterte to "ensure that all units of the AFP are pulled-out from their current forward deployment within the guerrilla zones of operations of the NPA and areas under the sway of the revolutionary forces."

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/133456/npa-urges-duterte-rein-in-your-troops