President Rodrigo Duterte declared Friday he will try to “finish all” CPP-NPA rebels within the remaining two years of his term.
Duterte, on his public address aired Friday, lamented the Communist Party of the Philippines or CPP-NPA’s killing of the government’s soldiers in the past three weeks.
“Ang utos ko sa kanila, ‘Patayin kayo? O di patayin ninyo sila.’ Lahat na. Tapusin na natin ito sa panahon ko. I have two more years. I will try to finish all of you,” he said.
(My order to them, if they are going to kill you, then kill them. All of them. Let us finish this in my time. I have two more years. I will try to finish all of you.)
An NPA gunman and a government soldier were killed Philippine Army Community Support Program (CSP) Team, and communist insurgents clashed in Barangay Puray in Rodriguez on March 28.
On April 19, NPA rebels killed three soldiers and injured four others when they clashed with the Philippine Army’s 94th Infantry Battalion in Barangay Carabalan in Himamaylan City, Negros.
And just this Tuesday, April 21, AFP reported gunmen who believed to be New People’s Army (NPA) rebels killed two soldiers and injured three others on Tuesday in Maria Aurora, Aurora province.
Most of the killed soldiers were securing the area as the personnel of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) distribute the cash aid from the government’s Social Amelioration Program.
AFP said NPA would not honor ceasefire
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said March 29 that NPA would not honor the ceasefire President Rodrigo Duterte had asked following the clash in Rizal.
“This attack on our people throws away their so-called “humanitarian principles” and expose the exploitative nature of their ceasefire declaration,” he added.
On March 18, the government declared a ceasefire with the NPA as the country prioritizes fighting the deadly virus. The Communist Party of the Philippines agreed on March 25.
Duterte also warned that he might declare Martial Law if CPP-NPA rebels would continue to kill the government’s soldiers.
“Kaya ngayon’ pag nagpatuloy kayo ng lawlessness niyo, patay dito, patay doon, maybe I will declare martial law because kayong mga NPA ang numero uno,” Duterte said.
(If you continue with your lawlessness, killing here and there, maybe I will declare martial law because you NPAs are instigators.)