Gov’t troops will only fire to defend themselves: Lorenzana

FILE: Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday (June 10, 2019). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

MANILA — Government troops will only react in self-defense and will do as they are not allowed to engage New People’s Army (NPA) rebels during the ongoing ceasefire.

“So they (NPA) have a plenum? They can go ahead. Our troops are not prohibited from doing their other duties such as law enforcement and assisting the local populace. The ceasefire prohibits them from engaging the NPA in combat. Our troops will only react in self-defense,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a message to reporters Monday.

Lorenzana made this remark as communist rebels in Surigao Del Norte aborted their assembly which was scheduled Sunday night at Bacuag town due to the presence of military troops in the area.

A plenum is an annual gathering of NPA and the Communist Party of the Philippine leaders and their allies.

Lorenzana, however, said the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) takes exception to the accusation of an alleged violation of the holiday truce.

“Look who is talking! They, members of the terrorist CPP-NPA, are the peace spoilers.

They prostituted and violated every ceasefire that has been declared,” Lorenzana said.

He said government troops are faithfully and dutifully observing ceasefires.

“Even if soldiers were treacherously attacked by these criminals and extortionists during a humanitarian mission, they abided by the truce. But these CPP-NPA members, they proved to be a band of recidivists and habitual offenders to peace talks which prompted President Duterte to cancel an ongoing peace negotiation in November 2017,” he added.

Just hours after their unilateral declaration of a ceasefire on Dec.

23, NPA rebels in Camarines Norte ambushed a team of soldiers who were on their way back to camp following the announcement of a suspension of military operations by the DND and AFP.

A soldier was killed and six others were wounded in the attack.

“Not long before that, NPA members blasted an anti-personnel landmine on unwitting policemen returning to station also from an operation halted by the ceasefire,” Lorenzana said.

He added that it is the CPP-NPA which is against ceasefires.

The holiday truce between government forces and communist rebels took effect midnight of December 23 and will last until 11:59 p.m. on January 7.