Hundreds of Lumad and farmers gathered in front of the headquarters of the Eastern Mindanao Command at the Naval Station Felix Apolinario in Panacan here, on Friday morning, August 26 to present their concern regarding militarization of their communities.
The New People’s Army released another batch of prisoners of war in a village somewhere in Surigao del Norte province on Saturday, August 27 bringing to seven the total number of prisoners released by the rebel group coinciding with the successful first round of talks between the government and the National Democratic Front.
The Communist Party of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) announced that they will declare and issue a unilateral ceasefire to its armed-wing, the New People’s Army to reciprocate the government’s indefinite ceasefire which took effect on August 21.
Now that the peace talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines is moving forward, President Rodrigo Duterte said the government troops will focus on dealing with the illegal drugs trade and extremism in the country.
An environmental group has urged residents here to oppose the High Tribunal’s ruling that struck down a local ordinance banning the agricultural practice of aerial spraying.