Malacañang on Wednesday condemned the attack of the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels on members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) in Arakan, North Cotabato.
“We strongly condemn the latest incident involving the New People’s Army (NPA) with the members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) in Arakan, Cotabato, which resulted in the injury of four (4) PSG personnel,” presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
Abella said “a group of more or less 50 armed men identified as members of the NPA disguising as soldiers of Task Force Davao was conducting a checkpoint when the PSG, who at that time was doing normal administrative movement for coordination, noticed something unusual which led to the encounter.”
Reports from security officials said vehicles carrying members of the PSG on its way to Cagayan de Oro were fired upon at about 6:15 a.m.
The encounter came a day after the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) ordered its armed wing, the NPA, to launch “armed counteractions and offensives” against government troops amid the possibility of the extension of martial law in Mindanao.
On whether this would have any effect on the peace talks, Abella said: “Let us wait for the President’s advice and directive on the matter.”
But the incident prompted the government peace panel to cancel the backchannel talks with the communist rebels.
“I am announcing the cancellation of back-channel talks with the CPP/NPA/NDF originally set within the next few days in Europe due to recent developments involving attacks done by the NPAs,” Secretary Jesus Dureza, presidential adviser on the peace process, said in a statement.
“The situation on the ground, necessary to provide the desired enabling environment for the conduct of peace negotiations, are still not present up to this time,” Dureza added.
President Rodrigo Duterte said he would not allow the resumption of peace talks with the rebels unless they stop their extortion and other hostile activities. /atm