By:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/
MANILA -- "You wanna challenge us? Go ahead, make our day."
This was the challenge raised by Malacañang, through presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, to the communist New People's Army (NPA) who reportedly belittled the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to enforce President Benigno Aquino III's order to crush the rebels' "checkpoints," which the government calls as roadblocks.
Lacierda said that the government forces have intensified their operations against the illegal activities of the NPA, including the setting up of roadblocks to extort money from local candidates.
Aquino has ordered the dismantling of NPA roadblocks after the rebels' ambush on the convoy of Gingoog Mayor Ruth de Lara Guingona who was hurt in the incident. The mayor's police escort was also injured while her two civilian supporters were killed when her convoy did not stop at the guerrillas’ roadblock in the city.
Lacierda said that the AFP has moved a Marine battalion to Misamis Oriental to pursue the perpetrators in the attack.
He said that the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA is now considered a bandit group.
"The CPP-NPA was borne out of legitimate grievances in the past. They have now been reduced to a bandit group," he said.
Since it is now election season, he also said that the rebels are now engaged on "attention grabbing," because "this is the time for them to earn money" through the permit to campaign.
Lacierda said that the Aquino administration is always committed to hold peace negotiation with the rebels. But it is the Maoist group which shut its door to pursue the peace process.
"There is no ongoing peace process. We have committed to talk to them, they have refused to talk to us," he said.
Those rebels who just went to the mountains because of the disillusionment on the past administrations could now return to the folds of law because the current government has changed, he said.
"This administration is committed to making --- ensuring that you will have a better life. And so come down from the mountains. Who doesn't want peace?" Lacierda said. (SDR/Sunnex)
