NPA calls on Duterte to tame the AFP

Ka Oris, Spokesperson, New People’s Army

Today marks the 100th day in office of the anti-US Duterte regime. Today also marks the 50th day of the ceasefire declaration by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) which coincided with a similar declaration by GRP President Duterte to promote the NDFP-GRP peace negotiations.

So far, the ceasefire has been holding. All NPA units have strictly abided by the ceasefire declaration. Aside from maintaining defensive posture, NPA units are conducting counter-maneuvers to avoid armed skirmishes with the AFP.

Red fighters and commanders of the NPA are glad that their efforts to hold the ceasefire have helped to bring forth the second round of peace talks between the NDFP and GRP panels currently being held in Oslo, Norway.

We must report, however, that not a few NPA units are having difficulty holding back offensives amid threats of armed troops of the AFP which continue to conduct Oplan Bayanihan counter-insurgency intelligence, psywar and combat operations in the guerrilla zones of the NPA.

There are reports of continuing AFP operations across the country, from North Luzon to Southern Mindanao. There are even reports that military units are telling civilian residents that the ceasefire is no longer in effect to justify their operations and presence in their communities.

Units being deployed by the AFP in civilian communities are fully armed. They unnerve and intimidate the people. They prevent the people from conducting their daily social and economic activities.

The people lament the fact that the AFP has yet to observe the advise of GRP President Duterte “to be friendly” with the NPA and their revolutionary government. Contrary to such an advise, the AFP continues to conduct hostile operations against the NPA and against the people. Even the drug campaign is being used by the AFP to conduct anti-NPA operations.

The AFP leadership continues to push the deployment of its armed units to force the NPA to launch an armed counter-offensive and imperil the ceasefire and peace negotiations.

In the interest of ensuring the progress of peace negotiations, the NPA calls on GRP President Duterte to tame the AFP. The NPA calls on the Duterte regime to put an end to all operations of a counter-insurgency nature, including so-called “peace and development operations”, “visitations”, “medical missions” which involve fully-armed units of the AFP.

The NPA also urges GRP President Duterte to reiterate his order to pull-out and dismantle all AFP-controlled paramilitaries from civilian communities, especially those in Davao del Norte and the Surigao provinces, in order to allow the residents, particularly the Lumad people, to return to their homes.

 

Source: http://www.cpp.ph/npa-calls-duterte-tame-afp/