Palace condemns NPA attack in Cagayan: ‘They refused to come to the table’

Malacañang on Friday condemned the attack of New People’s Army (NPA) insurgents in Cagayan province that took the lives of six policemen and left eight other wounded on Tuesday morning.

READ: 6 cops killed, 8 wounded in NPA encounter in Cagayan

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the Philippine National Police will go after the perpetrators of the attacks.

According to initial reports, around 40 armed rebels ambushed the group of Regional Public Safety Battalion members at Barangay (village) Sta. Margarita.

“We certainly condemn those people who perpetrated the attacks on our police. The leadership of the PNP has been informed of this and we will go after those who have perpetrated this dastardly act on our policemen,” Lacierda told reporters in a press briefing.

Asked if the Palace was pushing again for the peace talks with the NPA, Lacierda said the group was the one who “refused to come to the table” and “made many conditions.”

“We have not strayed from our advocacy of having peace with them but having so many conditions have made it impossible for them. Demanding on the preconditions for a talk is certainly their problem, not ours,” Lacierda said.

“We have always stated that. We have always stated that from the beginning. So they are the ones making it hard for themselves to come to the table, not us,” he added.