Philippine president issues kill order against communist rebels

Activists hold placards against the government's anti-drug campaign in Manila on November 24, 2017. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on November 23 called on police to once again take the lead role in his deadly drug war, having twice demoted them in response to criticism of the crackdown. (AFP)

MANILA: “Shoot them.” That was Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to the police and military should they encounter armed communist insurgents.
Duterte said an executive order is in the works to declare the Maoist New People’s Army (NPA) a terrorist group.
“I am preparing now, they are preparing the executive order declaring (the NPA) to be terrorists and they will be afforded the treatment of criminals,” he said in a speech on Wednesday.
The president said that he had decided to cut off talks with the communists because of a lack of “sincerity” on their part.
“I think that they are not really serious,” he said, adding that apart from biding their time, “they do not have the second echelons to carry the fight and they just want to be comfortable.”
He told government security forces that “if there is an armed NPA there or terrorist, if he’s holding a firearm – shoot,” adding: “They will kill you anyway.” Duterte warned government forces to be vigilant as the NPA are on the offensive.
The president last week issued Proclamation No. 360 terminating talks with the rebels.
Days later, a series of encounters between government troops and members of the NPA in the provinces of Abra, Surigao Del Sur and Batangas left 16 rebels dead: 14 of those killed, including a 22-year-old student from the University of the Philippines, were from the clashes on Tuesday night in Nasugbu, Batangas, south of the capital.
Arab News asked Brig. Gen. Arnulfo Burgos, Jr., commander of the 202nd Infantry Brigade, about the operation that resulted in the killing of the student and 13 others.
“They were all armed, 11 bandoliers were recovered from them. They were going to conduct a tactical offensive,” Burgos said. He said the university student had also been armed.
“They’re all NPA members,” he said, adding that the rebels may have been on their way to attack a police station when they were intercepted by troops.
Col. Edgard Arevalo, public affairs office chief for the armed forces, said in a press briefing that the military operations against the NPA should send a strong signal that the government is determined to end the long-running insurgency in the country.
He said with combat operations over in Marawi — the site of a bloody urban battle between Daesh-backed fighters and government forces — the military can now redeploy its soldiers in accordance with the directive of the commander-in-chief.