Lorenzana: Safety of civilians a priority in campaign vs NPA

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Thursday said that the safety of civilians is a main priority in their fight against communist rebels.

The defense department issued the guidelines of their intensified campaign against the New People’s Army (NPA).

READ: AFP to wage ‘all-out war’ vs NPA—defense chief

“All units and individuals of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) shall keep in mind the safety of the communities that might be affected by our operations and that our main priority is to protect the innocent civilians whom we have sworn to defend from any and all harm,” Lorenzana said.

He did not mention the “all out war” he declared early this week, following President Rodrigo Duterte’s tagging of the NPA as terrorists and the lifting of the government’s unilateral ceasefire.

Lorenzana assured the public that the military operations are conducted in a “precise and calculated” manner.

International humanitarian law and human rights will also be observed.

The President scrapped the peace negotiations between the government and the communist rebels over the weekend, following the collapse of the unilateral ceasefire of both sides. RAM