Gov’t negotiator decries stepped-up violence by rebels

Expressing sadness and disappointment over what he called the New People’s Army’s “heightened acts of violence,” the chair of the government peace panel yesterday reiterated its call for a ceasefire as negotiations proceed.

Lawyer Alex Padilla, chair of the government panel, expressed the hope that the National Democratic Front, the umbrella organization of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the NPA, would accept the government proposal of a ceasefire like the one it has with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

“We’ve been asking for (a ceasefire) at every opportunity but the problem is they don’t really want it. We hope that just like with the (MILF), we can have a ceasefire while the talks are ongoing,” said Padilla in an interview over state radio dzRB.

“These heightened acts of violence are really sad, really disappointing,” he added.

Still, Padilla said, the best course was to keep the peace process going.

“Of course, instead of suspending the talks, it’s still better to continue with the negotiations,” he said.

Padilla on Friday condemned the NPA’s putting Mayor Henry Dano of Lingig, Surigao del Sur, on trial before its “people’s court” and according prisoner-of-war status on four jail guards it abducted in Kitaotao, Bukidnon.

Yesterday, Padilla said he talked to NDF negotiator Fidel Agcaoili and was assured the four guards would be released.

“It seems they have changed their mind,” he said.

In a statement on Friday, Padilla turned the tables on the rebels who often invoked the government-NDF agreement on human rights and humanitarian law whenever any of their people were captured by government troops.

“These acts committed by the NPA are nothing short of criminal,” Padilla said.

“They are violative of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law or CARHRIHL, which they have signed, as well as every human rights protocol,” he said.

Padilla said the mayor’s basic right to defend himself in the best way possible was being violated with impunity. Norman Bordadora