By Martin Sadongdong The Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) condemned on Saturday the New People's Army (NPA) for allegedly attacking security troops and civilians in separate incidents even after President Duterte issued a unilateral ceasefire as troops shift their focus to the fight against coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito G. Galvez Jr.
(OPAPP / MANILA BULLETIN) Presidential Peace Adviser Carlito Galvez Jr. said the attacks carried out by the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which resulted in the death of two civilians, showed "the heartlessness of the rebel group despite the severe health crisis our nation is now facing." Galvez was referring to the killing of two elderly Manobos identified as Hawudon Bernardino Astudillo, 73, and Zaldy Ibanez, 52, in San Miguel, Surigao del Norte last Thursday. Maj. Gen. Nemesio Gacal, commander of the 4th Infantry Division, said the victims were forcibly taken from their homes in Sitio Inadan, Barangay Magroyong by at least 15 bolo-wielding suspects who are believed to be members of Guerilla Front 30, Northeastern Mindanao Regional Committee. Astudillo, the tribal chieftain in Barangay Magroyong, and Ibanez were taken to a forested area where they were stabbed to death by the suspects. Meanwhile, a Citizen Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) patrol base in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental was also attacked by suspected members of the Leonardo Panaligan Command (LPC) based in central Negros. Luckily, no one was killed in the incident. "President Duterte ordered a suspension of military operations, hoping the rebel group would consider his appeal and reciprocate. However, the Reds have clearly ignored his request and instead took the lives of innocent people," Galvez said. "Where is the CPP-NPA's sense of humanity?" he asked. Early this week, Duterte asked the communist groups for a ceasefire as he ordered the military to help the Philippine National Police establish checkpoints in Metro Manila after Luzon was placed under an enhanced community quarantine. Duterte then called on the rebel groups to help the government by practicing "social distancing" from the troops "Ang problema, hindi sa lahat nag... hindi lahat nagmamahal ng gobyerno natin ito. Kayo bang mga NPA nagmamahal kayo sa gobyerno? Kapag hindi... tumulong kayo. Distancing at huwag na niyo muna galawin ang mga sundalo. Ano muna tayo, ceasefire lang (The problem is not everybody loves this government. You, NPAs, do you love the government? If not... you should just help us. Practice distancing and do not attack the soldiers. Let's have a ceasefire)," Duterte said in a public address last March 16. Thereafter, Duterte ordered the suspension of military operations from March 19 to April 15. While Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier gave the assurance that the military will obey the Commander-in-Chief's order, he had expressed doubts that the communist groups will stop their armed attacks since they have "a bloody track record" of violating ceasefires with the government. CPP founder Jose Ma. "Joma" Sison had said the negotiating panel from the National Democratic Front (NDF) would deliberate on Duterte's appeal for a ceasefire. For his part, Galvez called on the leadership of the CPP-NPA to return the government's show of good faith. "We hope the CPP-NPA would set aside our differences for the meantime because we are fighting an unseen enemy which does not choose its victims. Continued attacks against our law enforcers and civilians will only worsen the situation," he said.