AFP to CPP: Don’t blame us for resumption of combat ops

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday took a swipe at the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for claiming that they sabotaged the government’s unilateral ceasefire.

“The [Communist Party of the Philippines–New People’s Army–National Democratic Front] should not pin the blame on the AFP for the resumptions of combat operations against them or resort to squid tactic to cover their inability to manifest good faith or perform unequivocal acts for the ceasefire to prosper,” AFP public affairs chief Col. Edgard Arevalo said in a statement.

President Rodrigo Duterte called off the unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels on Saturday, five days after his declaration during his first State of the Nation Address. The CPP did not meet the President’s deadline to match the truce.

The Southern Mindanao Regional Command and the CPP earlier claimed that the military sabotaged the ceasefire and they were not able to implement it to their frontline units.

While the ceasefire was implemented last week, a government militiaman was killed and four others were wounded in an ambush by the NPA in Compostela Valley. The rebels said they were thwarting an Army operation.

“As soon as the directive declaring the suspension of military operations (Somo) was signed by the AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Ricardo Visaya in the evening of July 25, it was communicated to all units in the field forthwith through all available means of communication including radio,” Arevalo said.

“We believe that if such failure is not an issue of sincerity, then it is an issue of their inability or loss of control of the NPA units in the frontline that attacks and ambuscades were perpetrated against AFP personnel complying with the Somo,” he added.

Arevalo said the other side “had to twist the story because they cannot afford the embarrassment of not being able to control their people on the ground.”

“The AFP believes in the primacy of peace, unequivocally supports the Commander in Chief in his peace and development initiatives; and will abide by his instructions,” he added./rga