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NPA frees police officer in Bukidnon

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THE New People’s Army (NPA) freed a third prisoner of war (POW) yesterday, April 27, in Barangay Dominorog, Talakag, Bukidnon, a National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) peace consultant said.

The NPA turned over Police Officer 2 Gerome Anthony Natividad to Regional X Peace and Order Council chairperson and Cagayan de Oro Mayor Oscar Moreno and Sowing the Seeds of Peace convenor and Iglesia Filipina Independiente Bishop Felixberto Calang, NDFP Negotiating Panel Ceasefire Committee member Alfredo Mapano said.

Natividad was found to be innocent of crimes against the people and was released in accordance with the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, Mapano said.

Mapano added Natividad should have been released earlier but the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) “refused to cooperate by ordering a Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO).”

“The NPA custodial unit found a way to release Natividad without a SOMO as it is confident Moreno and party would not be harmed by the AFP anyway,” he said.

Earlier, Ka Cesar Renerio, NDFP-North Central Mindanao Region in a February 23 statement assured Natividad’s family he will be released unharmed, provided the AFP ceases its military operations in the region.

Natividad was captured at a checkpoint put up by the NPA’s Mt. Kitanglad Sub-regional Command at Kilometer 28, Duminorog, Kitanglad last February 9.

The NDFP committed to the release of four POWs in its joint statement with its Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) counterpart in The Netherlands last April 6.

“The two (2) Parties agreed to undertake necessary measures to effect the immediate, safe and expeditious release of AFP and PNP elements held captive by the NPA in Eastern Mindanao, with the captives held in Socsargen to be release before Easter and those in Bukidnon and Caraga after Easter,” the statement said.

Sgt. Solaiman Calocop and Private First Class (PFC) Samuel Garay, both captured in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat on February 2 were released last April 19 in Matanao, Davao del Norte province.

PFC Edwin Salan, captured in Alegria, Surigao del Norte on January 29, is the last remaining NPA POW.

Ceasefire committee meeting

Meanwhile, the NDFP and GRP ceasefire committees met at the Royal Norwegian Embassy this afternoon in accordance with activities set by both parties at the end of the fourth round of formal negotiations earlier this month.

Norwegian Ambassador to the Philippines Erik Førner hosted the meeting.

“We just exchanged views on our respective definitions of ‘buffer zones’ and ‘hostile acts’ and we presented our respective views on the matter of third party monitoring of the prospective joint ceasefire,” Mapano said.

Earlier, GRP Ceasefire Committee head Hernani Braganza announced on his social media accounts they met with AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Eduardo Año and staff last April 27 on the progress of the GRP-NDFP peace negotiations.

The GRP and the NDFP are set to hold their fifth round of formal negotiations in Noordwijk Aan Zee, The Netherlands starting May 26. # (Raymund B. Villanueva/Photo of PO2 Natividad from Ang Kalihukan You Tube Channel)

NPA releases two POWs in Davao del Sur

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WITHOUT waiting for a copy of the announced Suspension of Military Operations order from the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the New People’s Army (NPA) released two of its prisoners of war (POWs) this morning in Matan-Ao, Davao del Sur to a third party facilitator and local government officials.

The NPA’s Front 74 Mt. Alip Command turned over Philippine Army’s Sgt. Solaiman Calocop and Pfc. Samuel Garay to Rev. Redemeer Yañez, IFI of Koronadal and of the group Sowing the Seeds of Peace as well as Davao del Sur provincial administrator Marc Anthony Cagas.

The NPA reportedly held the turnover ceremony at Matan-Ao because it was not as militarized as Sultan Kudarat where Calocop and Garay were captured.

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines-Far South Mindanao for its part said the release of the POWs was in accordance to the NPA’s commitment to comply with the Geneva Convention.

The NPA National Operations Command earlier complained it could not effect its announced release of five POWs because of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and Philippine National Police’s refusal to suspend operations.

“Continuing offensive military and police operations in the Socsargen area have impeded the New People’s Army (NPA) from releasing two prisoners of war,” NPA spokesperson Jorge “Ka Oris” Madlos, in an April 12 statement, said.

The NPA said it planned to turn over Calocop and Garay to the third party facilitator last April 11 but cancelled because continuing military and police operations put the safety of the POWs, their families and third party facilitators at risk.

The POWs are soldiers of the 39th Infantry Battallion of the Philippine Army.

They were captured by the NPA in Columbia, Sultan Kudarat province last February 2.

The NPA is also set to to release three other POWs in Bukidnon and in the Caraga region. # (Raymund B. Villanueva)

Davao del Sur provincial administrator Marc Anthony Cagas (in green shirt) congratulates the two soldiers on their release. (Photo by Radyo ni Juan Network)

 

 

2 NPA POWs to be released tomorrow

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THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has issued a Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) order for the release of two New People’s Army (NPA) prisoners of war (POWs) in Socsargen, a government peace negotiator said.

Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) Negotiating Panel member Hernani Braganza said the release of the POWs is likely to be held tomorrow and will be facilitated by Cagayan de Oro Iglesia Filipina Independiente Bishop and Sowing the Seeds of Peace convenor Felixberto Calang.

Braganza said he has been talking to concerned parties to effect the release, including Calang, National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) chief negotiator Fidel Agcaoili yesterday, GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III and the AFP since yesterday on the matter.

“We hope and pray the release tomorrow would be successful,” Braganza said.

Earlier, NPA spokesperson Jorge Madlos said their scheduled release of Philippine Army’s Sgt. Solaiman Calucop and Pfc. Samuel Garay last April 11 somewhere in the Socsargen region was cancelled because of continuing military and police operations that put the safety of the POWs, their families and third party facilitators at risk.

“Continuing offensive military and police operations in the Socsargen area have impeded the New People’s Army (NPA) from releasing two prisoners of war,” Madlos, in a April 12 statement, said.

“The AFP and PNP (Philippine National Police) have stubbornly refused to heed the clamor for their units to stand down and suspend offensive operations to provide the opportunity for such a turnover,” the NPA spokesperson added.

The NPA said Calucop and Garay’s release is in line with the April 6, 2017 Joint Statement signed by the NDFP and GRP, and the February 18 declaration of the CPP.

“The two (2) Parties agreed to undertake necessary measures to effect the immediate, safe and expeditious release of AFP and PNP elements held captive by the NPA in Eastern Mindanao, with the captives held in Socsargen to be release before Easter and those in Bukidnon and Caraga after Easter,” their April 6 statement said.

The two soldiers were captured by the NPA in Columbia, Sultan Kudarat province last February 2.

The NPA is also set to to release three other POWs in Bukidnon and in the Caraga region.# (Raymund B. Villanueva/Featured image from CPP website)

Bilateral ceasefire talks may proceed, NPA to release POWs–CPP

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THE Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) said talks for a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) may proceed as scheduled on February 22 to 27 if President Rodrigo Durterte decides to send his negotiating panel and emissaries to The Netherlands.

In a statement, the CPP and the New People’s Army (NPA)  said they reiterate their support to forge a bilateral ceasefire agreement.

“The revolutionary forces are encouraged by the previous statements of GRP President Duterte that all political prisoners will be released within 48 hours once the bilateral ceasefire agreement is signed,” it said.

“However difficult, the revolutionary forces are willing to work with the GRP negotiators to hammer out a bilateral ceasefire agreement that will be mutually acceptable and enforceable,” the CPP added.

The underground party however said it anticipates that negotiations concerning the terms of reference of a bilateral ceasefire agreement will be most difficult.

“The revolutionary forces are bound by principle to assert the withdrawal of the AFP’s operating troops from areas under the sway of the revolutionary government,” it said.

POW releases

 As a positive gesture for the holding of the talks, the CPP said it will call on all concerned NPA  units to expedite the release of the six prisoners of war (POWs) captured over the past days.

 The CPP said various NPA custodial units are holding as prisoners of war the following AFP personnel:

  1. PFC Edwin Salan, captured in Alegria, Surigao del Norte on January 29;
  2. Sgt. Solaiman Calucop, and
  3. Pfc Samuel Garay, captured in Columbio, Sultan Kudarat on February 2;
  4. PO2 Jerome Natividad, captured in Talakag, Bukidnon on February 9;
  5. Paramilitary Rene Doller, and
  6. Paramilitary Carl Mark, captured in Lupon, Davao Oriental on February 14.

WATCH: POW asks Duterte to expedite his release.

The underground party said the NPA commands in charge of the custodial units can work closely with third party facilitators, usually the Philippine National Red Cross, churches and human rights organizations.

While mayor of Davao City, Duterte was known for facilitating the release of NPA POWs in various parts of Mindanao.

“The AFP can cooperate by withdrawing all troops in and around the area where the POWs will be released to pave the way for their safe and orderly release,” the CPP said.

“Assuming the cooperation of local AFP commands, all POWs can return to their families before or during the scheduled negotiations in The Netherlands,” it added.

Thorny issue

Plans for bilateral ceasefire agreement negotiations were approved immediately after the GRP Negotiating Panel submitted a formal proposal last January 24 during the third round of formal peace talks between the GRP and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) in Rome, Italy.

GRP chief negotiator Silvestre Bello III said he was encouraged by the NDFP’s reception to their proposal, one of the government’s major objectives in the last round of talks.

“I find their (NDFP) response reasonable,” Bello  said.

The peace process hit a snag, however, after the AFP attacked an NPA encampment in Makilala, North Cotabato last January 21 while the formal peace talks were ongoing in Rome.

The CPP and the NPA then terminated their unilateral ceasefire declaration last February 1 due to various other military combat operation in CPP-controlled territories.

The Duterte government responded by terminating its own ceasefire declaration, suspending the formal negotiations  with the NDFP and declaring an all-out war against the NPA, effectively shelving plans for bilateral ceasefire negotiations later this month.

Previously, Duterte repeatedly announced his desire for a bilateral ceasefire agreement with the underground Left, vowing to make good on his earlier promises to release all NDFP-listed political prisoners within 48 hours once signed and delivered to him.

Duterte subsequently revealed that top officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and some members of his Cabinet are against the mass release of political prisoners, prompting him to backtrack on earlier pronouncements.

The CPP however asked Duterte “to heed the people’s clamor and reverse his earlier pronouncements terminating  the  peace negotiations.”

“The CPP earnestly encourages him to do so. He would surely not want to set aside the achievements attained during the first three rounds of GRP-NDFP peace talks and waste the opportunity to leave a legacy of peace,” it said. (Raymund B. Villanueva)