MANILA, Philippines (Eagle News) — Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of Staff General Eduardo Año said that after lifting the government unilateral ceasefire with the Communist Party of the Philippines and National People’s Army (CCP-NPA), the military has recorded about 30 encounters with the rebels groups.
The encounter occurred between the dates February 4 to 18.
According to Año, the average report said that there are two encounters with the communist rebels every day.
“If you compute [the 30 encounters], it’s like having two clashes a day and then we have neutralized more or less 40 communist rebels, 12 body counts, 15 captured, and about 17 surrendered,” Año said.
He then expressed hopes that the intensified operations against these rebels groups would force them to return to the negotiating table and choose the path of peace.
“Alam mo, kailangan dito both military pressure on the other side and social pressure from the non-military side so that they will be forced again to not only go back to the negotiating table, [and] probably choose the path of peace,” he said
Eagle News Service
