Despite Calaca raid, gov’t to pursue talks with Reds

The government will still pursue peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People’s Army (NPA) despite last Saturday’s rebel attack on a power plant in Batangas.

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles issued the statement yesterday following the attack by NPA guerrillas on a military detachment guarding a National Power Corp. (Napocor) power plant in Calaca that left four Air Force troopers and three of the rebels dead.

Deles said the Batangas incident only heightened the urgency of pursuing peace talks with the communist rebels, despite statements by the rebel group that such offensives were meant to topple the Arroyo administration.

"We will continue to push for the start of formal negotiations, the pursuit for peace because these (attacks) will not do any good for the country," she said in Filipino.

For his part, Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero Pichay said any "reactive action" by the government on the attack may only lead to the escalation of hostilities.

Pichay, chairman of the House defense committee which led a delegation to negotiate an extension of the Christmas ceasefire with the rebels, instead proposed to hunt down those behind the attack and file criminal cases against them in court.

Pichay called on NPA leaders to support moves for peace negotiations rather than launch more attacks.

"We urge the more moderate and more nationalist-oriented leaders and members of the NPA to support the peace process instead of advocating for intensified operations against the government," Pichay said.

President Arroyo issued a statement condemning the Saturday incident.

Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said yesterday Mrs. Arroyo also condoled with the families of soldiers who died defending the Calaca power plant, a major source of electric supply for Metro Manila.

Bunye said Mrs. Arroyo condemned the attack as a clear act of terrorism but vowed to exhaust all possible efforts to find a lasting solution to the insurgency problem.

He said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has been tasked to go after the rebels and give justice to the families of the slain soldiers.

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police, together with the local government units, are now on high alert against any possible threat from the New Peoples’ Army," Bunye added.

NPA spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said the Saturday attack was part of the intensified offensives ahead of the May elections to help bring down the Arroyo administration.

The attack at the Calaca power plant was the first major offensive by the NPA since a Christmas season ceasefire, separately called by both the government and the rebels, expired earlier this month.

The NPA rejected an appeal by the government to extend the truce until the May 10 elections.

Rosal had said the resumption of peace talks, which have been suspended since 2001, under the government of Mrs. Arroyo would be "impossible."

Deles said she had expected these statements from Rosal since there are still no formal agreements between the government and the CPP-NPA and its political arm, the National Democratic Front (NDF).

"So at this point in time when there are still no agreements, you can expect all sorts of acoustics. That is why we have to immediately enter into formal agreements so that it is clear who we are talking to," Deles said.

She said the government has been assured by NDF leaders in Utrecht, Netherlands that efforts towards working for peace negotiations are still "on track."

"We are just waiting for the final exchange of documents for the joint agreement into the peace talks," she said.

Deles said the proposal to extend the Christmas ceasefire will be presented on the table during the peace negotiations even as the NPA rejected the initial offer by the government.

She stressed there is no justification for the attack launched by the rebels in Calaca.

Deles noted the Christmas truce came without definite terms of agreement between the government and the rebels.

"Still both sides accepted the truce," she said. "We really need to pursue peace or else the hostilities will get worse."

Deles said the issue of "permit to campaign" (PTC) imposed by the NPA for candidates campaigning in the countryside will also be brought on the negotiating table since the government has declared the practice is clearly unacceptable.

Bunye added the police and the military will continue to thwart the imposition of the PTC which he said is a clear form of extortion.

A lawmaker in the Bicol Region became the first victim of campaign harassment after he was ambushed by suspected NPA rebels last Friday for refusing to pay the campaign tax.

Seven heavily armed men claiming to be communist guerrillas shot and wounded the driver of Sorsogon Rep. Jose Solis.

Solis was left unharmed but the suspects took away the firearm of driver-bodyguard Gary Guyala, who was shot in the right leg.

Solis suspected some criminals are now taking advantage of the situation by pretending to be NPA rebels imposing their revolutionary form of taxation, including the PTC to allow candidates to campaign in rebel-infested areas.

Pichay, however, called for an investigation on the attack against his colleague.

"This latest attack on an election candidate is very disturbing especially (since) it involves the issue of non-PTC payment," he said.

Pichay called on the NPA rebels to back away from the practice of imposing the PTC, claiming this would relegate the rebel group to mere bandits or highway men.

"We reiterate the government position that it will never tolerate the PTC payment because it is a form of extortion and violates the candidates’ right to freely campaign and present their platforms to the people," Pichay said.

He said the imposition of PTC by the NPA would only help contribute to graft and corruption.

"The rebels recoup their expenses through the PTC fee, penalizing even the poor candidates. This violates their very ideology to protect the poor and the oppressed," he said. – With reports from Paolo Romero, Arnell Ozaeta, Benjie Villa