(Eagle News) — Malacañang has condemned Sunday morning’s attack by the New People Army (NPA) on a police station in Maasin town in Iloilo province, saying it was “opportunistic” and “ill-timed.
“It’s unfortunate that the NPA raid of a police station in Iloilo happened on the same day the government reciprocated the National Democratic Front’s declaration to refrain from undertaking offensive operations in Mindanao,” Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella said in a press conference.
“Although the attack was not in Mindanao, the act was opportunistic in nature and disregards the nature of the NDF declaration,” he added.
Presidential Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza, meanwhile, said that the recent attack by the NPA has a ‘negative impact’ and illustrated the tragedy of the insurgency.
“It is disheartening to note that such attacks provide a negative impact in our mutual commitment with the NDF to provide that enabling law conducive to the continuation of peace negotiations with them,” he said in a statement. “The impact is not just on the peace negotiations; it also illustrates the tragedy of the insurgency,” Dureza added.
The Philippine government on the same date decided to proceed with the fifth round of the peace talks after National Democratic Front (NDF) chair Fidel Agcaoili ordered the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to halt its offensive operations against the military.
The rebel group seized 12 firearms, including high-powered rifles, from the police station.
According to Chief Supt. Cesar Hawthorne Binag, Western Visayas police director, at least 50 NPA rebels, including women raided the police station and took eight M-16 rifles and nine Glock 9-mm pistols.
Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO) spokesperson Police Chief Inspector Aaron Palomo said that the policemen were neither harassed nor harmed, but were only handcuffed by the rebels.
