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VOL. XXX • NO. 358 • 5 SECTIONS 20 PAGES • P18 • SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2017 • www.thestandard.com.ph • editorial@thestandard.com.ph
NDF INSISTS: FREE JAILED COMRADES
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OMMUNIST leaders continued to demand the release of captured communist rebels even after staging surprise attacks on government forces and calling off a fivemonth-old ceasefire that was announced August last year.
Hours after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered government troops to prepare to resume counter-insurgency operations, chief National Democratic Front negotiator Fidel Agcaoili demanded that the government release about 400 captured communist rebels for peace talks to continue. “On the release and amnesty of political prisoners, the NDF main-
tains that this is a matter of justice and obligation under the [Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law signed in 1998 or CASER],” Agcaoili said. “Some of these political prisoners have languished in jail for more than 10 years without conviction, in violation of the right to speedy trial as provided for in the [Philip-
pine] constitution,” he said. Agcaoili noted that 14 of them have died in prison, 13 under the time of Benigno Aquino III and one under Duterte. “The NDFP has already proposed as early as October 2016 that the release and amnesty of all political prisoners can come after the signing of the CASER without prejudice to the early release of those who are sick, elderly, longterm detainees, women and innocent civilians on humanitarian grounds.” he said. Agcaoili blamed the breakdown of the ceasefire on the military which, he claimed, conducted operations during the truce. “On the other hand, the [New People’s Army] has maintained
strictly its own unilateral ceasefire, taking extraordinary measures to avoid encounters with AFP troops while remaining on active defense,” he said. But chief government negotiator, Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III, the NDF should take “command responsibility” for the actions of the NPA. “There is a need for them to assume command responsibility [within their ranks],” Bello told state radio dzRB on Saturday. Bello stressed that the NDF should agree to a joint bilateral ceasefire following their own allegations that the military violated its own unilateral ceasefire, when they return to the negotiating table this Feb. 22 to 25. Turn to A2
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TRUMP BAN SUFFERS SEVERE LEGAL BLOW
KILLED IN SERVICE. President Rodrigo Duterte condoles with the family of Lt. Miguel Victor Alejo who was killed in one of the New People’s Army's 15 surprise operations as they canceled the five-month-old ceasefire with the government. Malacañang Photo
SEARCH ON FOR TROOPS IN NPA ‘ATROCITIES’ SECURITY forces in Mindanao launched operations to locate five soldiers who were reported missing amid what they described as “atrocities” committed by the communist New People’s Army even before they called off the ceasefire on Feb. 1. The military and police launched the operations as the families of
the three soldiers who were killed in an NPA ambush in Bukidnon demanded justice for their slain loved ones, who were ambushed although they were unarmed and in civilian clothing. “Ang nagpatay kung kinsa man siya mas labaw ang mahitabo sa iya sa iyang gibuhat sa ako bana nga buotan kaayo [Whoever killed (my
husband), something worse will happen to him because he killed a good man],” said Almalou Yee, wife of Sgt. Owen Yee. Sgt. Yee left their base in Malaybalay, Bukidnon with Cpl. Pat Non and Cpl. Niño Christopher Talabor to get their subsistence allowance but were ambushed by NPA rebels. The bullet-riddled bodies of the
three were found later that day, with one cadaver bearing 27 gunshot wounds, another with 26 and the other one with 24. “These acts are not only violations of their own ceasefire declaration, that is still in effect, it is an utter disregard to international humanitarian law when they used Turn to A2
DENR URGED TO SHOW AUDIT REPORT By John Paolo Bencito MINING groups on Saturday urged Environment Secretary Regina Lopez to release the results of the review conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau which became her basis to order the closure of 21 mining operations in the country. In a statement, the Philippine Mine Safety and Environment
Association said that while it remains firm in its commitment to support responsible mining as espoused by the DENR secretary, Lopez should dispel speculations within the mining industry that the closure order was made without due process. “It appears that full details of the results of the Mining Audit is yet to be furnished to the concerned companies. The closures/ twitter.com/ MlaStandard
suspensions, if affirmed, will have far reaching effect especially in mining communities that play host to these mines—employees and their dependents, contractors, and mine-dependent small businesses will be the biggest losers,” the PMSEA said. “In the spirit of transparency and due process, the PMSEA exhorts the DENR to release the Turn to A2
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WATCHING 'BISING.' Weather forecaster Jori Loiz points to the location of Tropical Depression 'Bising' east of Mindanao on Saturday. Manny Palmero
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‘BISING’ CRUISES EASTERN SEABOARD
THE low-pressure area east of Mindanao developed into a tropical depression on Saturday and was named “Bising” while cruising over the waters along the country’s eastern seaboard and bringing some rains there before possibly moving away from Philippine landmass. “Latest available data indicate a low chance for ‘Bising’ to cross the country,” said weather forecaster Robb Gile of the state weather bureau, Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration. Gile said light to moderate rains and isolated thunderstorms are possible in Mindanao, the Visayas as well as Luzon’s east-lying Bicol region and Quezon province as ‘Bising’ moves over waters bordering the eastern seaboard. "Bising" is also enhancing the prevailing northeast monsoon or amihan so the eastern seaboards of Southern Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao can experience strong to gale-force winds that can fan rough to very rough seas in those regions, Gile added. He said "Bising" may, however, recurve and head northeast away from the country once it nears Southern Luzon. In its Severe Weather Bulletin 3 Turn to A2
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