“From now on I will consider the CPP-NPA-NDF a terrorist group,” said President Rodrigo Duterte on February 4, in the same announcement he made on the termination of the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
With this, he turns his back on his various statements through the years on the lead organizations of the revolutionary movement in the Philippines, engaged in a civil war with the Government of the Philippines (GRP).
Among his statements in the past either recognizes the ongoing revolution or identifies himself as similar with the revolutionaries.
Calling revolutionaries as terrorists
In a tirade during his visit to Cagayan de Oro on February 5 in the wake of the three soldiers killed in an encounter with the NPA in Bukidnon, Duterte called the CPP-NPA-NDFP a terrorist group.
“I went out of my way, sometimes being humbled when they retort to insulting remarks. Nilunok ko yan [I endured that] because I wanted to end a 50-year-old war. But it seems to me na itong mga terorista, want another 50-year war of killing Filipinos,” Duterte said.
“Why do you kill a government soldier 73 times? Anong tingin mo sa sundalo? Aso? (What do you thing of soldiers? Dogs?)” Duterte said in between curses.
However, Ka Allan Juanito, Spokesperson of NPA North Central Mindanao Command clarified in a February 7 statement that the incident in Malaybalay City, Bukidnon that resulted to the death of three soldiers was a legitimate encounter.
“On February 1 at 5:20 in the afternoon, two Red fighters under the NPA-South Central Bukidnon flagged down the three soldiers onboard two motorcycles as they arrived at Sitio Kalib, Brgy. Kibalabag from Malaybalay City. Two troopers made a move of pulling out their pistols, forcing the NPA squad positioned alongside the road to open fire,” said Juanito.
He further denied that the bodies of the slain soldiers were desecrated.
He explained that the 8th Infantry Battalion troops have started their encampment in the communities of Brgy. Kibalabag and Brgy. Manalog since October and November respectively.
He debunked the military’s claim that military presence were in the area to deliver social services.
“In fact, they are spreading decadent influence to the peace-loving residents like drinking sprees, gambling and pornography,” Juanito alleged.
Active defense
The NPA has been in ‘active defense’ almost since its unilateral ceasefire declaration in August 2016, that they said meant they would take action “only in the face of clear and imminent danger and actual armed attack by the enemy forces and only after exhausting counter-maneuvers to avoid armed encounters.”
The CPP Central Committee and NPA National Operational Command issued its unilateral declaration of interim ceasefire on August 28 2016 ordering all NPA units and people’s militia to “cease and desist from carrying out offensive military campaigns and operations against the uniformed armed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) of the GRP.” They have lifted their unilateral ceasefire declaration on January 30 saying that the ceasefire was untenable because of the AFP’s attacks on the NPA and the incursions in their areas of control.
Continuous military operations in Makilala, North Cotabato resulted to the death of an NPA fighter when troops from the 39th Infantry Battalion attacked an NPA encampment in Makilala, North Cotabato on January 21 while the peace talks in Rome, Italy is ongoing. It was only after the NPA released their own statement was it revealed that the GRP attack ended in 8 AFP soldiers dead.The AFP, however, denied this.
However, the NDFP clarified in a separate statement on January 31 that the reported skirmishes between the NPA and AFP indicates that “the GRP military and police have become even more aggressive after their ‘success’ in the Makilala, North Cotabato incident where they violated their own ceasefire by mounting a day-long offensive against an NPA unit and attacked the latter in its encampment, killing a Red fighter.”
“It also means that given the AFP and Philippine National Police (PNP)’s increasing incursions and attacks on communities, the NPA has been obliged to take an active defense posture to defend and protect the communities and its forces,” said Fidel Agcaoilli, NDFP panel chairperson in the statement.
Observing the ceasefire
Agcaoili said that the NPA has maintained strictly its own unilateral ceasefire, taking extraordinary measures to avoid encounters with AFP troops while remaining on active defense in a separate statement on February 3.
During the third round of peace talks, human rights group Karapatan submitted a report of the GRP’s own unilateral ceasefire and human rights violations from August 21 to December 26, 2016, tapping on the Joint Monitoring Committee (JMC) mechanism of the peace process to notify both parties and check on the violations of both sides. The JMC is part of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL).
The GRP side handed a copy of GRP-documented complaints on ceasefire violations committed by the NDFP, also during the third round of peace talks.
These violations may also be investigated, recommend and serve punishment, indemnify the victims jointly or separately decided and implemented by both sides, also as per the JMC guidelines.
Featured image by Earl Condeza/Davao Today
