At least four police officers assigned to a quarantine checkpoint were hurt in an attack by suspected armed communist rebels in Concepcion town in Misamis Occidental, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said.
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said there would be no talks with communist rebels, citing attacks on military personnel and social workers distributing relief and cash amid the quarantine.
Officials of the municipality of Balangiga in Eastern Samar have rebuffed the story carried by PTV News that “Communists NPA terrorists swooped down on Sitio Bangon, Barangay Guinmaayohan around 9:00 AM of April 7, 2020 and took away relief goods intended for the people.”
President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday unilaterally declared a halt in hostilities against communist rebels, allowing soldiers to help fight the Covid-19 pandemic.
The turnaround this Christmas was totally unexpected. The president was probably giving the rebels the last chance to politically settle the insurgency problem before moving decisively to strategically defeat the rebel group. By Manny Mogato