Duterte threatens to lift truce with Reds after NPA attack

LUCENA CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte threatened Thursday to lift the truce he declared with communist rebels following last Wednesday’s attack by the New People’s Army (NPA) in Davao del Norte that left one militiaman dead and four others wounded.

 

Duterte said the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) should explain why its armed wing staged the ambush, which happened three days after he declared the unilateral ceasefire.

 

RELATED: Duterte declares unilateral ceasefire with communists

 

“I am issuing a warning to the communists…I called one of the lawmakers of the Left and (government chief negotiator Silvestre) "Bebot" (Bello). I told their congressman: ‘What is this? Are we into this truce or are we not?’” the president told soldiers and policemen here.

 

“I told them: ‘Give me an answer by tonight because if tomorrow, there is no answer, I will lift it (ceasefire) and we return to animosity,’” he added.

 

The president did not identify the lawmaker he spoke with.

 

Duterte said communist rebels should just forget the ceasefire if they kill even a single soldier or Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) member.

 

“If we commit mistakes, we punish our men and women in the service. I expect the same and demand an answer as to who was at fault and they should be put under disciplinary action. Otherwise, we did not talk about anything. That is my deal,” he added.  

 

Duterte declared the unilateral truce with the communists during his first state of the nation address last Monday.

 

He said the skirmishes between government forces and the insurgents should stop because they are “getting bloodier by the day.”

 

The president also called on communist guerillas “to respond accordingly,” noting that the truce was meant to support the resumption of the peace negotiations.

 

Talks between the government and the communists will resume on Aug. 20 in Oslo, Norway. The two sides are expected to discuss the release of political prisoners and previously signed agreements during the week-long negotiations.

 

Negotiations with the communist rebels hit a snag in 2013 after negotiators failed to reach an agreement on jailed rebels who are allegedly working as peace consultants.

 

Communist negotiators called for the release of their jailed comrades but the government panel rejected this, saying there is no way to validate the identities of the rebels especially those using aliases.

In the same event, Duterte said the government would not hold peace talks with the local terrorist group Abu Sayyaf, whom he described as criminals without ideology.

 

The president previously said that he was not considering members of the group as criminals because their violent activities were “driven by desperation” by “failed promises.” The group, which operates in parts of Mindanao, has carried out several kidnappings, beheadings and bombings.

 

“We have to insist on peace, even with our Moro brothers. As I talk to the communists, I will talk to the MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front), MNLF (Moro National Liberation Front) and all the armed groups here, excluding the Abu Sayyaf,” Duterte said.

 

“I will not talk with the criminals, only with those with the ideology,” he added. 

 

Duterte said criminal groups should be destroyed because they commit atrocities and do not have a program of government for the people.