Davao City (CNN Philippines) — President Rodrigo Duterte gave the New People’s Army (NPA) until Saturday 5 p.m. to explain the reason why they ambushed members of a paramilitary group in Kapalong, Davao del Norte at a time the government had already declared a unilateral ceasefire.
In his visit to the headquarters of the 60th Infantry Battalion in Asuncion, Davao del Norte Friday afternoon, Duterte said that he was extending his deadline to the NPA to give their side — upon the request of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Maria Sison.
Related: Duterte to end ceasefire if ambush not explained
Duterte said that if he would not receive a justifiable reason for the attack, he would have no other course but to retract the ceasefire declaration.
In a released statement also on Friday, NPA’s Comval North Davao South Agusan Subregional Command spokesperson Aris Francisco said that that they just “thwarted a military offensive” which was in adherence to the directive by the NPA National Operations Command for Red fighters to maintain on alert status and on active defense mode in response to Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s declared unilateral ceasefire.
The rebels said that the Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) of the 72nd Infantry Battalion and armed Alamara paramilitary troopers have been on active operation in Kapalong, resulting in several engagements including its July 5 ambush that wounded one rebel.
“Determined to continue its offensive military operations in Kapalong, the same troops ignored the ceasefire declaration of their commander-in-chief and again took off for combat operation from their detachment in Brgy. Patil on July 26,” Francisco said.
The NPA accused the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) of deceiving their commander-in-chief by saying that the NPA violated the unilateral ceasefire when it waylaid the PDOP (Peace & Development Outreach Program) troops who were returning to their detachment in Sitio Patil, Barangay Gupitan.
The rebel group said that had they not taken the initiative to actively defend itself by intercepting the 72nd IB/Alamara troops, the operating AFP troops would have carried out its own combat action and inflicted damage against the NPA unit.
The NPA maintained that they would abide with the spirit of the resumption of the peace negotiations in addressing the roots of the civil war, respects the ceasefire order of President Duterte, and they would strictly adhere to the directive of the national leadership and the CPP.
