Leftis rebel group vows to force gov't back to peace talks

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The New People's Army (NPA), a leftist group in the Philippines, vowed today to intensify its tactical offensives against government troops to pressure the Philippine government to go back to the negotiating table.

"By intensifying guerrilla warfare, the reactionary government will also be forced to return to the peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP)," said Karlos Manuel, spokesperson of NPA Eastern Visayas Regional Operations Command.

Formal peace talks between the Aquino administration and the NDFP, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines- NPA, have been stalled since 2011.

Manuel said the NPA members, particularly in his region, were also poised to heighten their operations to ensure the defeat of the government's Oplan Bayanihan, a counterinsurgency program of the military.

"We will strive for tactical offensives that are annihilative and with political impact. We will combine these with attritive actions such as sniping and the punishment of enemy spies," Manuel added.