TACLOBAN CITY-The mayor of Borongan City has expressed his support on the decision of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte not to engage in a ceasefire with the members of the communist rebels.
Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda said that the move of the President was just right as the rebel New People’s Army (NPA) members are just using the ceasefire for their own advantage.
“I am with the opinion of the President because it is being abused by the NPAs to consolidate their ranks and strength,” Agda said in an interview.
Pres. Duterte on Monday declared that he would no longer agree to have a ceasefire with the rebels this Christmas and for the rest of his term which will end in 2022.
He also said that peace talks with the national government and the National Democratic Front, the political arm wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, is also ‘dead.’
On Sunday, the city marked the second anniversary of the ambush incident staged by the rebel members in Barangay Libuton December 13,2019 which killed a police officer and a civilian while eight others were injured.
Also, six soldiers were killed and 20 others were injured in an encounter with the NPA members in Brgy.Pinanag-an, also in the same city last November 11, 2019.
Agda lamented that until now, justice remain elusive to the families of those who were killed and injured due to the attacks staged by the rebels.
Eastern Samar of which Borongan City serve as its provincial and commercial center, remains to have a presence of NPA rebels.
Last November 23 of this year, around 100 Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu) members were added to the security personnel of Borongan as a way to ward off any possible attempts by the rebels in the city.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
