President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday evening visited the wake of slain soldier 2nd Lieutenant Miguel Victor Alejo at the St. Peter Chapels, Panacan, Davao City.
The junior officer was killed in an encounter with an armed lawless group believed to be members of New People’s Army in Sitio Manay, Davao Oriental on Wednesday afternoon.
Duterte personally extended his condolences to the family of Alejo and spoke with generals of the Philippine Army regarding the termination of the government’s ceasefire with the NPA.
Meanwhile, the latest attacks carried out by the NPA on authorities forces, many of whom have been simply engaged in community-building actions, prompted President Duterte to announce the lifting of the unilateral ceasefire effective Friday.
Termination of unilateral ceasefire means the troops are back to chasing the after-elements of those who commit atrocities in the rural areas.
In his speech in M’lang, North Cotabato, President Duterte informed the army to “go back to your camps, clean your rifles, and be ready to fight” as he has already lost “many soldiers” in just 48 hours.
Norman Alejo, father of the slain soldier, said he supports Duterte’s termination of the ceasefire and believes that the decision is “for the good of Filipinos and for the great of the nation.”
Governor Nelson Dayanghirang of Davao Oriental, who was also visited the wake, additionally favored to the lifting of the ceasefire since it would be “able to forestall NPA rebels from conducting their unlawful actions.”
Maj. General Rafael Valencia, spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 10th infantry Battalion, said in a chance interviewon Friday evening that they are waiting for President Duterte’s guidelines regarding the lifting of the ceasefire.
When asked regarding the army’s preparation on NPA’s further attacks in the region given that the ceasefire has already been lifted, Valencia said “it depends on the situation.”
“Our primary concern is [to defend] the security of the people and troops against the NPA; we will continue to be the nuisance army and plan our next movments based on the guidelines that will be released by the President,” he explained, adding that the Army’s headquarters will also create their plans on how to implement the guidelines that would be released soon.
Despite this, the military said it would still support the achievement of the long lasting peace and that the public must take into consideration that the ceasefire was only lifted and not the peace negotiations.
It can be recalled that the NPA had launched 18 attacks against the federal government troops, though the rebels’ declared withdrawal of the ceasefire was nonetheless to take impact on February 10.
“Rest assured that we will continue to support the peace talks with the NDFP (National Democratic Front of the Philippines) to find a permanent peaceful solution to the conflict,” Valencia mentioned.
