From the Visayan Daily Star (Dec 20): Army calls NPA truce superficial
A ranking military official in Negros Occidental dismissed yesterday as “superficial”, or “pakitang tao (hypocrisy)”, thefour-day unilateral ceasefire to be observed by the New People's Army.
Col. Jon Aying, 303 rd Infantry Brigade commander, said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army, which is based on Marxism and a Godless ideology, is all out in spreading violence.
“How come they are declaring such occasion that is based on Christian faith?” he asked, adding that the rebel group does not care about social, moral and spiritual aspects.
“That is why I say that the ceasefire (for the NPA) is just to say that they are also human, but to me, it is not,” Aying said.
The CPP said in a statement it issued that the ceasefire will take effect midnight of Dec. 24 to 11:59 p.m. of Dec. 26, and from midnight of Dec. 31 to 11:59 p.m. of Jan. 2, 2014.
The CPP, however, reminded NPA commands and units to remain vigilant against encroachments by military and police units despite the ceasefire.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista had said earlier that the government will observe its own “suspension of offensive military operations” against the CPP-NPA over the Christmas period, as it had done in previous years.
“We deserve a break during Christmas. This is a very significant, very important holiday for our people especially now after these major disasters,” Bautista said. He, however, did not give specific dates for the effectivity of the truce.
Should there be a SOMO (suspension of military operations), Aying said it does not mean that they also have to suspend law enforcement and being the protector of the community.
“Christmas does not stop us from enforcing the law,” he said.
Aying said they will arrest rebels who insist on carrying firearms, especially those with pending arrest warrants and facing charges in court, pointing out that these are not covered by the SOMO.
The CPP is marking its 45 th founding anniversary Dec. 26.
Aying said they expect the NPA to stage atrocities, in line with the CPP founding anniversary. “That is what they are for, to create atrocities”, he added, apparently referring to the CPP-NPA.
The CPP meanwhile, had lambasted earlier the military in Negros andPanay island for attacking NPA members helping victims of super typhoon Yolanda, as they observed the SOMO.
The CPP claimed in a statement it issued that t he high-profile disaster relief operations being conducted by the central headquarters of the AFP, serve only to camouflage the continuing brutal war being waged by more than 11,000 ground troops of the AFP's 8th and 3rd ID in the interior and coastal areas of the islands of Samar, Leyte, Panay and Negros.
Meanwhile, four suspected rebels burned 10 hectares of sugarcane fields in Brgy. Cabagnaan, La Castellana, and prevented fire fighters of the Bureau of Fire and Protection from responding to the incident on Dec. 15, police said.
Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, said yesterday that the owners of the burned sugarcane fields had received extortion letters last year, allegedly from a rebel group.
Last month, suspected NPA assassins shot and injured a barangay chairman in Brgy. Minautok, Calatrava, police records show.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/December/20/topstory3.htm
A ranking military official in Negros Occidental dismissed yesterday as “superficial”, or “pakitang tao (hypocrisy)”, thefour-day unilateral ceasefire to be observed by the New People's Army.
Col. Jon Aying, 303 rd Infantry Brigade commander, said the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army, which is based on Marxism and a Godless ideology, is all out in spreading violence.
“How come they are declaring such occasion that is based on Christian faith?” he asked, adding that the rebel group does not care about social, moral and spiritual aspects.
“That is why I say that the ceasefire (for the NPA) is just to say that they are also human, but to me, it is not,” Aying said.
The CPP said in a statement it issued that the ceasefire will take effect midnight of Dec. 24 to 11:59 p.m. of Dec. 26, and from midnight of Dec. 31 to 11:59 p.m. of Jan. 2, 2014.
The CPP, however, reminded NPA commands and units to remain vigilant against encroachments by military and police units despite the ceasefire.
AFP chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista had said earlier that the government will observe its own “suspension of offensive military operations” against the CPP-NPA over the Christmas period, as it had done in previous years.
“We deserve a break during Christmas. This is a very significant, very important holiday for our people especially now after these major disasters,” Bautista said. He, however, did not give specific dates for the effectivity of the truce.
Should there be a SOMO (suspension of military operations), Aying said it does not mean that they also have to suspend law enforcement and being the protector of the community.
“Christmas does not stop us from enforcing the law,” he said.
Aying said they will arrest rebels who insist on carrying firearms, especially those with pending arrest warrants and facing charges in court, pointing out that these are not covered by the SOMO.
The CPP is marking its 45 th founding anniversary Dec. 26.
Aying said they expect the NPA to stage atrocities, in line with the CPP founding anniversary. “That is what they are for, to create atrocities”, he added, apparently referring to the CPP-NPA.
The CPP meanwhile, had lambasted earlier the military in Negros and
The CPP claimed in a statement it issued that t he high-profile disaster relief operations being conducted by the central headquarters of the AFP, serve only to camouflage the continuing brutal war being waged by more than 11,000 ground troops of the AFP's 8th and 3rd ID in the interior and coastal areas of the islands of Samar, Leyte, Panay and Negros.
Meanwhile, four suspected rebels burned 10 hectares of sugarcane fields in Brgy. Cabagnaan, La Castellana, and prevented fire fighters of the Bureau of Fire and Protection from responding to the incident on Dec. 15, police said.
Senior Supt. Milko Lirazan, provincial police director of Negros Occidental, said yesterday that the owners of the burned sugarcane fields had received extortion letters last year, allegedly from a rebel group.
Last month, suspected NPA assassins shot and injured a barangay chairman in Brgy. Minautok, Calatrava, police records show.
http://www.visayandailystar.com/2013/December/20/topstory3.htm