AFP to launch rescue operation for NPA captives

MANILA, Philippines -  The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is gearing up for renewed fighting with the New People’s Army (NPA) following President Duterte’s decision to scuttle the government’s truce declaration with the communist rebels.

AFP Public Affairs Office (PAO) chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said the troops are under orders to start the offensive against the rebels by rescuing the soldiers seized by the NPA in northern Mindanao.

Among those to be rescued is Private First Class Erwin Salan of the Army’s 30th Infantry Battalion who was kidnapped in Surigao del Norte last weekend.

Days later, two more soldiers from the Army’s 39th Infantry Battalion were also forcibly taken in Barangay Telafas, Columbio, Sultan Kudarat.

“We refuse to call them prisoners of war because the NPA is not a belligerent force. The soldiers were simply victims of kidnapping,” Arevalo said.

“That is the subject of our combat rescue operations. We are going to rescue them,” he added.

Arevalo said full-scale rescue operations could not be made possible while the unilateral ceasefire was still in effect.

“We can now do that now, unlike before when there was the unilateral ceasefire declaration of the government and the suspension of military operations of the AFP. We can now conduct combat operations against them,” Arevalo said.

“And the first combat operation that we can do against them is to launch a rescue operation for the kidnapped soldiers,” he said.

On Friday, President Duterte announced the government was lifting its unilateral ceasefire and directed the military to prepare to fight.

In response, AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Año said the troops are ready to abide by the orders of the Commander-in-Chief and will hit the NPA hard.

Duterte ended the government’s six-month ceasefire with communist rebels, who had just lifted their own truce and killed troops in fresh attacks.

Duterte said he was forced to break off the ceasefire after receiving reports of “systematic attacks” by the NPA against government forces even before their declaration to scuttle their own ceasefire next Friday.

Suspected NPA rebels snatched two soldiers in a remote village in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat last Feb. 2.

Last week, two off-duty soldiers in civilian clothes and riding a motorcycle were taken by NPA rebels in Makilala, North Cotabato.

Separately, three soldiers were taken by NPA rebels in Malaybalay City in Bukidnon. The three soldiers were also unarmed and in their civilian attire when they were snatched.

Their lifeless bodies were later found along the road in a remote village in the city.

The regional police said the bodies of the three soldiers were riddled by gunfire of different calibers with a minimum of 24 gunshot wounds on each of them.

Colonel Eric Vinoya, commander of the Army’s 403rd Infantry Brigade, described the killing as inhuman and overkill.

“We condemn the recent act of violence perpetrated by alleged NPA members against three personnel of the 8th Infantry Battalion who were conducting community support program in Barangay Manalog, Malaybalay City. They left the barangay because they needed to secure some documentary requirements for a livelihood project that they were facilitating in the community and to get their subsistence allowances. Unfortunately, they were flagged down and murdered by armed men as they were about to go back to the community. They were in civilian attire and unarmed when they were slain,” Vinoya said.

“This act perpetrated by the NPA only shows that they are not fighting for an ideology anymore. They have resorted to criminal acts and banditry the moment that they murdered our troops and took their money and personal belongings,” he added.

The military leadership in the region vowed justice for the three slain soldiers.

“To the perpetrators, the full force of the law will be implemented until justice is served to our soldiers,” said Major Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr., commander of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division covering the Caraga and Northern Mindanao areas. 

    – With Ben Serrano