DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) is appealing to peace advocates and local government officials in Surigao del Norte province to ask government to cooperate for the safe release of the two police officers who were scheduled for release 10 days ago.
In an emailed statement Friday, December 15 Ka Maria Malaya, spokesperson of the NDFP in North Eastern Mindanao Region (NEMR) said the release of PO2 Jhon Paul M. Doverte and PO2 Alfredo L. Degamon of PNP-Placer in Surigao del Norte, was scheduled last December 5 in a village “covered by the ‘stand down’ of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) units within six days.”
The two policemen were taken as prisoners of war (POW) by the NPAs in Barangay Bad-as, Placer town on November 13, only 12 days before President Rodrigo Duterte signed Proclamation No. 360 which declared the termination of peace talks between the government and the communists. Malaya said the release was called off “because the AFP refused to abide by the agreement and continued with their military operations.”
She said on the night of December 4, the military attacked the NPA-Front 16 custodial force.
Two incidents of clashes happened on December 5 and 6 with no casualty reported, Malaya said.
Malaya said their release of the police officers aims to show that the revolutionary movement is serious with peace negotiations.
“The release of the POWs symbolizes the capacity for peace and their heeding of the appeals of the families. It also shows that the CPP-NPA-NDFP are not terrorists as proclaimed over and over by the US-Duterte regime,” said Malaya.
“It is revolutionary and fully adheres to its revolutionary policies and the international protocols of war,” she added.(davaotoday.com)
