AFP: No extension of ceasefire with Reds

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — There will be no extension of the ceasefire with New People’s Army (NPA) rebels, Central Command chief Lt. Gen. Roberto Ancan said yesterday. 

Ancan said military operations against communist rebels in the Visayas resumed on Thursday after the unilateral ceasefire declared by the government ended. 

President Duterte declared the ceasefire from March 19 to April 15 to ensure the unhampered deployment of health workers and delivery of assistance to areas affected by the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) extended the unilateral ceasefire it declared from March 26 to April 15 until April 30 “to ensure quick and unimpeded support to all people requiring urgent medical, health and socioeconomic assistance in the face of the public emergency over the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Juanito Magbanua, spokesman for the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command, ordered NPA units on Negros Island not to engage government troops in gunbattles in compliance with the CPP order.

However, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it recorded NPA attacks against soldiers tapped to help in the government’s fight against COVID-19 even though the rebels extended the ceasefire.

The military cited the encounter in Iloilo that left a soldier dead, harassment of a military outpost in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental and snatching of relief goods in Balangiga, Samar.

“As we perform our duty as frontliners... we also need to carry out our mandate of protecting the people from the menace of the CPP-NPA,” Capt. Cenon Pancito III, spokesman for the 3rd Infantry Division, said. 

Pancito said residents of Western and Central Visayas should be protected against ”deceptive attacks by communist guerrillas who take advantage of the truce by conducting illegal activities like recruitment, extortion and other form of atrocities.”

He said extending the ceasefire is not a practical decision at this time. 

“The only way for us to prevent them from disrupting the effort of the government and the people in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic is to resume our military operations,” Pancito said.

He said the government has enough troops to deal with the fight against COVID-19 and communist insurgency.