AFP says holiday truce a success; CPP cites another violation

The 19-day holiday ceasefire observed by government troops and communist insurgents — the longest in 10 years — was generally a success, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said, even as it expressed hopes that a longer and a more permanent truce will be forged by both sides. AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said this of the ceasefire, which will lapse on Monday night, even as he cited a few truce violations. “It was very successful, except for very minor breaches of the SOMO (suspension of offensive military operation)," he said. Mabanta said the military has recorded at least two ceasefire violations by the New People’s Army during the ceasefire period — a skirmish in Occidental Mindoro and the ambush of a militiaman in Negros Oriental. On the other hand, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA) have also claimed several military violations of the truce. Violation On Sunday, NPA Southern Mindanao command spokesman Rigoberto Sanchez questioned the arrest of Edwin Brigano at 3 a.m. Saturday in Baliok in Bago Gallera in the city's Toril district. "Comrade Edwin, 53, is undergoing medical treatment for serious respiratory illness, hepatitis and has difficulty walking. At early dawn on New Year's Day, members of the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police raided the house of his wife's relatives where Comrade Edwin was momentarily staying. He was later brought to the PNP's CIDG (Criminal Investigation and Detection Group) and later to the 10th Infantry Division-AFP's Camp Panacan in Davao City," Sanchez said in a statement posted Sunday night on the CPP website. He said Brigano's arrest was a "blatant display of treachery" and "brazenly violated" the ceasefire. He said such an act could "imperil" the peace initiatives between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). He branded as trumped-up and lame the robbery with homicide charges immediately against Brigano. "The New People's Army demands that Comrade Edwin be immediately released. His treacherous arrest and incarceration only highlighted the non-compliance of the regime's fascist machinery to its own ceasefire declaration," he said. Despite these, Mabanta said the military hopes that the “successful" implementation of the holiday ceasefire will serve as a confidence-building measure for a better truce. “We hope this relates to showing of goodwill and eventually a more permanent ceasefire and political peace negotiations will ensue (for the benefit) of the two sides and the people who are actually caught in between," he said. Government and NDFP negotiators are set to engage in informal talks in Norway this month prior to the resumption of formal negotiations next month. The communists pulled out of the negotiating table in 2004, accusing the Philippine government, then under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, of instigating the inclusion of the CPP and NDFP in the United States State Department’s list of terrorist organizations. During the 19-day truce, Mabanta said government forces suspended all offensive operations and went on the defensive stance. Taking advantage Mabanta also said the military took advantage of the ceasefire to improve its intelligence work. “We deployed intelligence units give us a better view of the situation. We were (also) able to link up and talk with several cadres as they went down to enjoy the holidays with their loved ones," the Army official said. Mabanta noted that at least 14 New People’s Army rebels surrendered during the ceasefire period. “By tomorrow evening, we should be ready to start our operations," said Mabanta, responding to queries about post-ceasefire instructions. Last Saturday, the military began implementing Bayanihan, its counterinsurgency plan, which replaces Oplan Bantay Laya II. The military has said that Bayanihan, which will be implemented until the end of President Aquino’s term in 2016, will be heavy on developmental projects and will give primacy to the respect of human rights and international humanitarian law. Bayanihan does not call for the military to reduce the intensity of its combat operations, the Army officer said, but instead, tasks the military to “double up" its civil-military operations works and coordination with the other “stakeholders." “We will not decrease our combat operations against the armed groups but we will increase engagements with the various stakeholders, more civil military (works), more developmental efforts," he said. — DM/KBK, GMANews.TV