"Pres. Duterte should control his armed forces to stop sabotaging the peacetalks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP),” Jigs Clamor, Karapatan deputy secretary general said in reaction to the reported armed encounter between the 39th Infantry Battalion Philippine Army (IBPA) and the New People’s Army in Makilala, North Cotabato.
"Pres. Duterte should control his armed forces to stop sabotaging the peacetalks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP),” Jigs Clamor, Karapatan deputy secretary general said in reaction to the reported armed encounter between the 39th Infantry Battalion Philippine Army (IBPA) and the New People’s Army in Makilala, North Cotabato.
“Such incidents will continue to happen, when the Armed Forces of the Philippines pursues its military operations,” Clamor said. “The 39th ID was brazen enough to pursue the NPA with the excuse of branding the latter as extortionists, during the formal peace talks tackling the root causes of the armed conflict. There are apparent efforts to sabotage the peacetalks,” Clamor said.
The incident took place a few days after the political killings of the peasant leader Alexander Caballes and Lumad leader Veronico Delamente. “These are obvious attempts to derail the peace talks by the AFP,” Clamor said. “We are holding AFP chief Gen. Eduardo Año accountable to violations of CARHRIHL,” Clamor continued.
“Oplan Kapayapaan is now being unveiled, through killings, illegal arrests and attacks against communities, even while there is a GRP unilateral ceasefire in place," Clamor added.
Karapatan reiterated its calls for the rescinding of counter-insurgency programs because these only result to people’s rights violations and derail efforts to resolve the root causes of the armed conflict. "Only through genuine agrarian reform and national industrialization, and by upholding the country’s sovereignty and people’s rights and welfare can just and lasting peace be a reality," Clamor concluded.###