AFP still open to peace with Reds

Peace with Reds still possible. DENNIS JAY SANTOS/INQUIRER MINDANAO

BAGUIO CITY — Despite the military’s intensified  operations against the New People’s Army, they are still open to go back to the peace negotiating table, Armed Forces chief Gen. Eduardo Año said on Sunday.

“Kami naman hindi naman kami nakasara sa peace negotiation, the Armed Forces, siguro more than anyone kung sino man yung may gusto ng peace yung mga sundalo,” he told reporters at a press briefing here.

(We are not really closing the door to peace negotiation, the Armed Forces, perhaps more than anyone the soldiers want peace.)

The AFP chief’s statement comes a night before the communist rebels expressed willingness to sign a bilateral ceasefire agreement.

But Año said that while the military is committed to peace, they will not allow communist rebels to conduct atrocities in the communities.

He said that aside from their intensified military operations, social pressure is also needed for the communist rebels “to return to the negotiating table and choose the path of peace.”

“Open kami kung magkaroon ng (We are open if there will be another) peace negotiation pero ang sabi ng Presidente (but the President had said), there must be a compelling reason for him to again go back to the negotiating table. But we have a mandate to do, we have to follow the order of the President and of course we have to eliminate the threat,” Año said.

Since the government resumed its offensive operations since Feb. 4, Año said they have neutralized over 40 communist rebels with 12 killed, 15 captured and 17 who surrendered.

He added they also have recorded 30 encounters from Feb. 4 to 18: “There are about 30 encounters already so if you compute it’s like having two encounters a day.”

President Rodrigo Duterte terminated the peace talks between the government and communist rebels early this month after the collapse of the unilateral ceasefires of both sides.

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