Eastern Visayas rebels welcome truce

TACLOBAN CITY, July 30 (PNA) -- The National Democratic Front-Eastern Visayas (NDF-EV) has welcomed the unilateral ceasefire declared by President Rodrigo Duterte in his first State of the Nation Address.

In a statement posted in their website, NDF-EV said that “the unilateral ceasefire declaration of Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP), through President Rodrigo Duterte, is a positive development for the resumption of the peace talks.”

“We believe the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) will be issuing a reciprocal unilateral ceasefire declaration soon. In the meantime, the NDF-EV calls on the New People's Army (NPA) in Eastern Visayas to maintain active defense mode as ordered by the CPP and the NPA National Operational Command,” the group stated.

The NDF-EV claimed that in the towns of Calbiga and Pinabacdao in Samar province and towns of Las Navas and Catubig in Northern Samar where soldiers still “conduct combat operation or occupying civilian communities.”

“Be that as it may, the NDF-EV believes the NPA will be carefully restrained toward the GRP ceasefire and will also carry out any reciprocal ceasefire by the CPP with utmost discipline.

When asked to comment over the rebel’s statement, Philippine Army’s 8th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office chief, Captain Ian Andres Fabellon said that government troops in the region have been supportive in the advocacy of lasting peace.

“The Philippine Army actively support, advocates peace building in the region, and always adhere on the primacy of peace process. We remain to be a partner of in promoting peace and resolution of conflict and we remain sincere and follows the laws of the land,” Fabellon said.

The military official added that throughout history, the Philippine Army always offer openness to the New People’s Army (NPA) in convincing them to return to the folds of the law and live in a normal and peaceful environment.

“The irony of being in the NPA is that they suffer all the hardship and dislocated lives bearing arms, while we are just performing our mandate as a protector of the people and the community for terrorist group and other lawless elements including protection of government installations and infrastructures,” Fabellon said.

The military added that for the past decades the NPA is insincere and continuously violates human rights by conducting ambuscades on Army forces involved in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and response operation, which clearly violates international law and Geneva convention.

The army official then denied the accusation of the NDF that despite the declaration of the President for unilateral ceasefire government troops in the region specifically in Samar are conducting military operation. (PNA)

RMA/PGL/SQM/ROEL T. AMAZONA/EGR