NPA violated truce, PRO-6 and IPPO say

By: Jennifer P. Rendon

The Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) could lie through their teeth but the people know the truth.

This, the Police Regional Office (PRO)-6 and the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) said amid the NPA’s alibi that it was the PNP that violated the Holiday ceasefire.

In a statement, Police Brigadier General Rene Pamuspusan, PRO-6 director, said that nothing could be clearer than the fact that NPAs attacked police personnel with the use of landline hours after the supposed bilateral ceasefire with the government took effect.

“I don’t think it’s hard to see that they clearly violated the truce,” he said.

Pamuspusan said that there was indeed a joint combat operation conducted by the 1st Iloilo Provincial Mobile Force Company and the 601st Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion in the afternoon of Dec. 19, 2019 at the boundaries of Tubungan and Leon towns of Iloilo province.

The operation resulted in an armed encounter at around 9:00 a.m. of Dec. 21, 2019 at Sitio Cadingli-an, Barangay Boloc, Tubungan.

“But personnel were already on the stand down before the occurrence of the ambush,” he said.

At around 7:30 p.m. of Dec. 22, Pamuspusan said her personally relayed to Police Leiutenant Colonel Leo Batiles, the PNP ground commander in the area, through a text message and call, the instruction of President Rodrigo Duterte declaring the ceasefire with the CPP-NPA-NDF.

Consequently, Batiles contacted all team leaders of the operating units to cease all operations after midnight.

He also made clear for troops to consolidate in their pick-up points and pull-out from the areas early morning of Dec. 23 to avoid encounters and avoid violating the ceasefire agreement.

At exactly 8:30 a.m. Monday, all operating troops were accounted at the Tubungan Municipal Police Station.

After the accounting, some personnel of the 1st IPMFC were ferried to their detachment in Lanag Norte, Tubungan, Iloilo.

While the patrol jeep driven by Police Staff Sargeant Ian John Lindo and eight others were travelling back to the police station to ferry other troops to their camp in Bagumbayan, Tigbauan, Iloilo, they were ambushed by the NPA rebels by detonating a landmine at Barangay Singon, Tubungan, Iloilo.

After the explosion, the NPA terrorists sprayed bullets at the patrol jeep.

The attack wounded Lindo and Patrolman Eric Galve. The police patrol jeep was also damaged.

By the said accounts, “clearly, there is no violation of the unilateral ceasefire committed by our personnel,” Pamuspusan said, emphasizing that his troops were attacked while going back to camp and operations have officially been concluded.

He added that what the CPP-NPA did was a treacherous act and is very condemnable.

Pamuspusan said that what the NPA did simply proved that they are indeed terrorists.

“It also shows the weak leadership of the CPP-NDF for not having control over the NPAs. It may also mean that the NPAs no longer follow the CPP/NDF leadership,” he said.

Pamuspusan said the attack mirrors the gruesome and inhumane methods the NPA would utilize in order to promote their twisted brand of ideology.

 

BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE

For Police Colonel Roland Vilela, Iloilo police chief; the NPAs could not hide from the truth “They must be held accountable for violating the ceasefire,” he said.

Contrary to the allegations of the CPP-NPA, Vilela said the operating units were already withdrawing from the area when they were attacked.

“Kagabi (Dec. 22) ko pa sila tinawagan to withdraw dahil nagdeklara ang NPA ng ceasefire which was reciprocated by the government. Our troop only waited for the daylight to move out,” Vilela said.

He also revealed that the operating troops have already cornered the CPP-NPA at the boundary of Tubungan, Iloilo and Valderama, Antique when he called them to withdraw because of the directive from the higher headquarters for the suspension of police/military operations.

He said the claim of the rebels regarding the attack is a big lie and a desperate attempt to cover up their being deceitful amid the truce.

“History has it. These rebels used to exploit the ceasefire to their advantage. Nakakalungkot,” Vilela said.

Meanwhile, he directed the province police force to stay on high alert and never be complacent with the ceasefire, as the CPP will commemorate its 51st founding anniversary.