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[av_heading heading=’RAID MAY DERAIL PEACE TALKS’ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=” subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY PRINCE GOLEZ and ADRIAN STEWART CO
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Tuesday, June 20, 2017
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MANILA – The New People’s Army (NPA) raid of the police station in Maasin, Iloilo on Sunday could adversely affect the peace negotiations between the government and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
Ilonggo Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza reminded the NDF it had a “mutual commitment” with the government to secure an “enabling environment conducive to the continuation of peace negotiations.”
It was “disheartening”, he said, that Sunday’s “provide(d) a negative impact” to that commitment.
Between 40 to 50 NPA rebels stormed the police station of Maasin around 10:30 a.m. on Sunday and disarmed nine helpless police officers.
“It illustrates the tragedy of the insurgency,” said Dureza. “It is an argument for a nationwide ceasefire.”
One of NDF’s consultants in the peace talks is the Ilongga Maria Concepcion “Concha” Araneta Bocala whom the military and police tagged as head of the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) Panay regional committee at the time of her arrest in on Aug. 1, 2015 in Molo, Iloilo City.
Bocala was temporarily freed by the Regional Trial Court in Iloilo City August last year to join the peace talks. She could not be reached for comment regarding the Maasin raid as of this writing.
Just this May 27, the government peace negotiating panel pulled out from the fifth round of talks with the NDF. Dureza cited several reasons, one of which was the Communist Party of the Philippines’ (CPP) order to the NPA, it s armed wing, to accelerate attacks against the government nationwide following the declaration of martial law in Mindanao.
Dureza described CPP’s order as a “defiant, blatant and serious challenge” to the government.
On the other hand, Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella described the Maasin police station raid as “opportunistic in nature.”
Aside from taking away the Maasin police officers’ guns and ammunitions, the rebels also took the patrol car, hand-held radios, laptops, and the cops’ cell phones, jewelry and money.
“We ask the NDF to call on their armed comrades on the ground to walk the talk and to show genuine sincerity on the confidence-building measures initiated by the government and their side,” said Abella.
Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines accused the NPA of taking advantage of the deployment of Iloilo province-based military to war-torn Marawi City on Saturday.
“When the forces were spread thin, they knew they can do this. That’s why we said it was very opportunistic,” said Brigadier General Restituto Padilla, AFP spokesperson.
The NPA-Panay claimed they targeted the Maasin police station because its officers were extorting from local vendors and tolerating the proliferation of illegal drugs and illegal gambling.
“Panis na iyong excuse na iyon. Huwag n’yo na patulan (Don’t mind that antiquated excuse),” said Padilla.
“They do this intentionally…to get more arms,” he added. “We should not believe their excuses.”/PN
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