BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Army’s 3rd Infantry Divison has yet to receive orders from its higher headquarters if the yuletide truce will be observed or not during this Christmas season, its commander, Maj. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, yesterday said.
Most likely there is none, like last year, Arevalo, whose area of operations covers Western and Central Visayas.
In previous years, the Armed Forces of the Philippines noted persistent attacks against government forces as well as civilians by the New People’s Army, despite their declarations of a yuletide ceasefire.
On December 2, eight NPA rebels died in an encounter with Army soldiers in Miag-ao town of Iloilo, whose cadavers recovered at the encounter site.
Also recovered from the encounter site were three M16 rifles, an AK47 assault rifle, four anti-personnel mines and its three detonators, among other war materials.
Arevalo urged the NPA remnants in Regions 6 and 7 to surrender, while they still had time to avoid misfortunes and deaths.
“You better surrender now before being caught and jailed or killed as consequences of your barbarity,” he added.
On other hand, the Roselyn Jean Pelle Command-Northern Negros Guerilla Front (RJPC-BHB) issued a statement claiming responsibility for the death of a certain Joefrey Torina in Sitio Magazine, Brgy. Bago, Don Salvador Benedicto, on October 23.
Rebel spokesperson Cecil Estrella alleged that Torina served as a military asset.*
