Image from International Business Times - Duterte demanded an explanation from the communist party on the ambush staged by NPA despite the truce
- The President warned to lift the ceasefire if he received no explanation by Thursday evening
- He urged the communist rebels to punish those responsible for violating the truce
MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte threatens to lift the unilateral ceasefire he declared during his state of the nation address (SONA) if the Communist Party of the Philippines fails to explain the ambush staged by the New People’s Army in Davao Del Norte.
The communist insurgents ambushed members of the paramilitary Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) in Sitio Kamunoan, Barangay Gupitan in the town of Kapalong on Wednesday, two days after the president announced the truce in his SONA.
One CAFGU member was killed while 4 others were hurt, said Col. Ricardo Nepomuceno, commander of the 1003rd Brigade. The unit were conducting foot patrol in the area for the past weeks and decided to return to the camp after being told of the ceasefire.
Apparently, the incident irked the president and immediately called a leftist congressman and Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, chairman of the government’s negotiating panel, to demand an explanation from CPP.
“Sabi ko, ‘Ano ba ito, are we in into these truce or are we not?’ Sabi ko sa kanila, ‘Give me an answer by tonight because kapag tomorrow, wala, tatanggalin ko, balik tayo sa away’,” GMA News quoted Duterte as saying in a speech before troops of the Southern Luzon Command (SOLCOM) at the Camp Guillermo Nakar, Lucena City on Thursday, July 28.
[I said, ‘what is this, are we in into these truce or are we not?’ I told them ‘Give me an answer by tonight because if tomorrow, I receive none, I will lift (the ceasefire), we’ll go back to conflict.]
In demanding the explanation, Duterte warned the rebels that it they hurt a soldier of the republic, it would be better for both sides to forget the ceasefire and just resume fighting in the battlefield.
At the same time, Duterte urged the CPP leadership to punish those responsible for violating the truce, just as the government troops punished its erring members.
“Expect the same and I demand an answer na kung sino ang nagkasala (that who is at fault here), they must also put under disciplinary action. Otherwise, wala tayong pinag-usapan (we just forget what we discussed). That is my deal,” the president added.
Despite the ambush, the military leaders in Mindanao vowed not to retaliate in deference to the President’s order to stop all offensive operations against rebels in the area.
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