PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas. (Photo from PNP PIO)
MANILA, Philippines — Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Police General Debold Sinas on Tuesday said they will pursue operations against communist rebels, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration to forego ceasefire with communists.
“The same pa rin ang deployment natin. We are just on the defense mode pero kung wala [nang ceasefire], tuloy po ang mga operations. Tuloy po ang deployment sa iba’t ibang areas at saan nakatago ang armado ng mga NPA [New People’s Army]. Tuloy po iyon, wala pong withdrawal at kung nasa bundok sila, iyong tropa nasa bundok pa rin. Wala pong changes diyan,” Sinas said in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City, when asked about their operations against communist rebels during the holidays.
(Our deployment is still the same. We are on defense mode but if there is no ceasefire, our operations will continue. Our deployment will continue in different areas where NPA members are hiding. It will continue, we will have no withdrawal and if they are at the mountains, our forces will be at the mountains. There are no changes there.)
Asked about Duterte’s declaration to end the ceasefire with communist rebels under his administration, Sinas said: “We support that. We support the statement of our President.”
The Armed Forces of the Philippines previously recommended to Duterte not to declare a suspension of military operations with the New People’s Army (NPA) because the armed rebels showed “incapacity for sincerity and being unfaithful to a covenant.”