Police on alert vs possible NPA attacks on CPP anniversary

The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday reminded all its units to be on guard against possible attacks by New People's Army (NPA) rebels as the group observes the 41st founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on December 26. The warning was issue even though the government and communist rebel group are observing a holiday truce that began on December 16 and will end on January 3. "Based on historical data, the CPP/NPA is known to launch tactical offensives to commemorate the founding anniversary of the local communist movement every 26th of December," PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said in a statement released on Friday. In issuing the warning, Cruz also noted two recent attacks by suspected communist rebels in Negros Oriental and Northern Samar. On December 14, the insurgents attacked elements of the Army's 63rd Infantry Battalion in Northern Samar, killing 10 soldiers and a nine-year-old boy. Days after the incident, the CPP claimed the incident was done in self-defense. On December 20, suspected NPA rebels in Negros Oriental attacked government militiaman Larry Bustamante of the 12th Infantry Battalion, an incident described by the military as a clear violation of the ceasefire. Bustamante fired back and survived the attack. Appeal to NPA leadership In the statement, Cruz also appealed to the NPA leadership to watch over its ranks to ensure none of their "unsupervised and misled" members violate the truce. "Our best hope for the ceasefire to hold is for the CPP/NPA leadership to be able to effectively exercise command and control over all its lower units in the countryside," Cruz said. After the holiday ceasefire, the National Democratic Front and the Philippine government are expected to return to the negotiating table in February. If it pushes through next year, the resumption of the peace talks would be the first in six years, or since they were stalled in August 2004. The Norwegian government has been brokering the talks for a political settlement of Asia's remaining communist insurgency problem. Early this month, the arrival of NDF leader Luis Jalandoni from Europe fueled hopes of progress in the peace talks. The government had given Jalandoni, his wife, and staff safe conduct passages during the ceasefire. — RSJ/VVP, GMANews.TV