The Philippine military on Wednesday accused the communist rebels of violating the holiday ceasefire after they allegedly attacked a government militiaman in Negros Oriental last Monday, the fourth day of the 19-day truce.
Military reports said Larry Bustamante of the 12th Infantry Battalion was on his way home when he was ambushed by more or less 12 fully armed New People's Army (NPA) rebels at Sitio Pulangi in Barangay Humay-Humay in Guihilungan town.
"He (Bustamante) was ambushed by 12 CTs (communist terrorists) while on his way home," said Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta at a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.
Bustamante was able to fire back at his attackers and flee the scene unscathed, Mabanta said.
The ceasefire, which started Dec. 16 and will last until Jan. 3, is the longest truce observed by both parties in 10 years and is considered as a confidence-building measure preparatory for the resumption of peace negotiations between the government and the communist-led National Democratic Front (NDF) in February next year.
The return of NDF leader Luis Jalandoni from Europe early this month had fueled hopes of progress in peace talks. The government had given Jalandoni, his wife and staff safe conduct passages during the ceasefire.
Mabanta, meanwhile, appealed to the leadership of the NPA, the NDF, and the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to ensure that their men on the ground are informed of the standing ceasefire to prevent similar violations in the future.
“We would like to remind the hierarchy of the CPP-NPA-NDF to please ensure that the ceasefire is implemented at the lowest level. We believe the good intentions of the leadership of the CPP-NPA-NDF. However, we doubt if really their intentions are translated or is performed in the field," he said.
Mabanta noted that the CPP-NPA-NDF is a loose organization and "not all the things that (they) want done is implemented at the lowest level."
"We will have to refer this incident to the authorities," said Mabanta without elaborating when asked on what actions the military is planning to take following the NPA attack.
A similar ambush on government troops two days before the start of the ceasefire resulted in the deaths of 10 soldiers and a nine-year-old boy in Northern Samar.
Days after the incident, the CPP claimed the incident was done in self-defense.
"As far as the CPP, NPA, NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) and revolutionary forces are concerned, the Samar ambush… should not in any way affect the progress of the peace negotiations. It was a legitimate act of war, carried-out in self-defense in response to an active enemy offensive operation," the CPP said in a statement posted on December 17. — KBK/RSJ
