MANILA -- Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Secretary Jesus Dureza on Monday condemned the atrocities committed by members of the New People's Army during the Holy Week, where they burned eight heavy equipment in Davao City.
“We condemn in the strongest way the senseless destruction of heavy equipment in Davao City over the last few days by suspected armed elements of the New People’s Army,” Dureza said in a statement.
On Sunday morning, a resident of the area, Bobby Cañete, reported one burned Caterpillar backhoe at Purok 8, Dalagdag, Calinan.
Police said eight armed persons, ages 15 to 18, were seen on board four motorcycles, burning the equipment on Saturday night, around 11 p.m.
The incident took place three days after the communist group's 49th anniversary on March 29.
Two other attacks by suspected NPA members also took place within the Holy Week.
“The fact that the three consecutive attacks happened during the observance of Holy Week all the more angers us,” he added.
Dureza said the NPA attacks “squander” government efforts being done to resume peace negotiations.
“This unnecessarily squanders whatever gains we have been quietly getting lately in our common efforts with the CPP/NPA/NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines) leadership to achieve just peace through the negotiations table,” Dureza said.
The NDF is the political arm of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
The peace adviser further described these attacks as a “setback” to their peace negotiations.
“We are therefore saddened by the consequent setback these attacks bring to our efforts,” Dureza said.
It may be recalled that 61 congressmen, through signing House Resolution No.1803, called for the resumption of peace talks.
Dureza, however, reiterated that it would take “the presence of an enabling environment” to be the “sole determining factor” to the resumption of peace talks.
President Rodrigo R. Duterte started formal peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF shortly after he became president in 2016.
However, the President canceled the peace talks on November last year because of continued attacks of the NPA on government forces despite ongoing peace talks that time.
Duterte issued a proclamation classifying the CPP-New People’s Army as a terrorist organization in December last year. (PNA)
