NPA nixes local peace talks

By Glazyl Y. Masculino

BACOLOD City – All guerrilla fronts under the Apolinario Gatmaitan Command (AGC) of the New People’s Army (NPA)-Negros firmly rejected and opposed “local peace talks.”

This was stressed by Ka Maoche Legislador, spokesperson of AGC-Negros island Regional Operational Command, in a statement released to the media last Wednesday, following a clash between the NPA and the Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion (IB) that killed Jose Gonzales in Barangay Carabalan, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental on Jan. 9.

Colonel Michael Samson, acting commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde), in a recent media interview, said he is open to localized peace talks as he believed that problems could be resolved peacefully.

But the rebel group said they will never engage in such a “phony” undertaking.

In a text message, Samson said the rebel group’s statement clearly indicates that they are not interested in achieving peace for the communities.

“Just as simple as that. True enough to say that they have become bandits and terrorists that only think of themselves and their organizations’ sake,” he added.

Meanwhile, the rebel group slammed the Army for the Himamaylan clash, calling it a “fake armed encounter.”

Legislador said there was no armed encounter that happened, and Gonzales was tagged by the Army as an NPA, even if he was a farmer.

The AGC-NPA said that all NPA units in Negros were commanded to mount tactical offensives.

When asked for comment, Samson said he doesn’t want to ride on with their propaganda.