Military vows to keep combat readiness against rebels

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - The military vowed today to continue focus combat operations against the New People' s Army as the rebels declared they would rather wait for the next president to assume power before returning to the negotiating table.

"They left the negotiating table so we will continue our focused military operations against them... We are going after the armed elements of the New People's Army," Armed Forces of the Philippines public affairs office chief Col. Ramon Zagala said.

"We cannot tolerate (the rebel atrocities)...Our efforts will continue, all our units will continue our efforts to end armed struggle, through other means if they are not willing to talk ( peace)," he said.

The head negotiator of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) said recently that if the Aquino government continues to refuse, they would rather wait for the next Philippine president to take power before returning to the negotiating table for peace.

Zagala said the military had been launching offensive actions against the rebels on the absence of a ceasefire agreement with them.

The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for four decades. Military estimates the NPA strength at more than 4,000 men scattered in more than 60 guerrilla fronts throughout the country.

The Philippine Armed Forces had been trying to solve the insurgency problem for over four decades, on the absence of a long- term ceasefire between the two sides.