The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas (NDF-EV) criticizes the Armed Forces of the Philippines for violating the unilateral ceasefire declared by the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), and reciprocated by the NDFP, by launching combat operations from Jipapad, Eastern Samar to Catubig, Northern Samar last November 5-7.
 
“We denounce the AFP for sabotaging the peace talks by continuing combat operations despite the ceasefire declared by its own government and as provocations against the NDFP ceasefire,” said NDF-EV spokesperson Fr. Santiago “Ka Sanny” Salas. “The New People’s Army monitored enemy troop movements by the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippines Army, believed to be from the 14th IB, last November 5-7. On Nov. 6, the NPA reports there were around 16 enemy troops in Barangay Mabuhay, Jipapad, and 25 more enemy troops in Barangay Gook, Catubig, Northern Samar. Unspecified numbers of troops were also monitored in Barangays Agasaman and Cagmanaba in Jipapad.”
 
Fr. Salas called on GRP President Rodrigo Duterte to control his troops or else the reciprocal ceasefire would be useless and the peace talks in jeopardy. “Despite GRP President Duterte’s friendliness to the NDFP and openness for the peace talks, the AFP acts as if it is beyond his control and can throw its weight around. In Eastern Visayas, the AFP has been making all sorts of devious excuses to camouflage its combat operations variously as for “peace and development,” anti-drugs, humanitarian assistance and disaster response and others. In fact, the AFP troops are combat-ready during these non-military operations, which should be given to civilian agencies and the police but have been appropriated by the military under Oplan Bayanihan. They also remain forward-deployed in the countryside despite the obvious dangers of armed engagements.
 
“The NDF-EV thus expresses its concerns to GRP President Duterte and the negotiating panels of the NDFP and GRP over these ceasefire violations and provocations by AFP troops. We call on Gen. Raul Farnacio of the 8th ID PA to respect the GRP ceasefire and stop provoking the NPA. The NDF-EV believes the peace advocates in the region should urge the AFP to respect the ceasefire and give chance for reconstruction to the people, who are both calamity-weary as well as victims of decades of militarization. But the people in the barrios have also been asking the NPA why it is not attacking these soldiers who do not care for ceasefires in the first place. If this situation continues, the NPA in Eastern Visayas will be obliged to heed the people’s demands and to call on the NDFP to lift the ceasefire so these abusers of the people can be punished.”
 
https://www.cpp.ph/afp-ceasefire-violations-slammed-eastern-visayas/