NPA kills officer as govt freezes talks

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent 

NEW People’s Army rebels shot and killed a police officer in Pangantucan, Bukidnon, hours after an ambush guerrillas staged against President Duterte’s security aides in North Cotabato and as the government suspended backchannel talks with the National Democratic Front (NDF) in Europe.

Supt. Lemuel Gonda, Camp Alagar spokesman, identified the slain officer as PO1 John Herbert  Pingol, a member of the Provincial Public Safety Company in Bukidnon.

Pingol was with a group of soldiers who were fielded for a joint combat operation when they encountered as still undetermined number of communist rebels in Barangay Concepcion in  Pangantucan town at around 3:30 pm Wednnesday.

Earlier that day, another NPA group attacked a group of mostly members of the Presidential Security Group in Arakan, North Cotabato. A militiaman was killed while at least five PSG personnel were wounded.

The NPA attacks were among the reasons why the government suspended the backchannel talks with the NDF in Europe, presidential adviser on the peace process Jesus Dureza told the Roman Catholicun radio station DxND on Thursday.

Dureza said the decision to postpone the informal talks with the NDF scheduled this week in Norway was collectively made.

He said the government peace panel led by Labor Secretary Sylvester Bello II was told not to proceed to Norway, hours after the incident in Arakan, North Cotabato.

The PSG convoy was on its way to Cagayan de Oro City when flagged down by the rebels along the Cotabato-Bukidnon highway. The presidential guards suffered only minor injuries, according to Dureza.

Dureza said the communist guerrillas set up a roadblock and was conducting a highway inspection in Barangay Gambodes in Arakan town.

“The incident in Arakan, North Cotabato has a great impact [on the peace talks]. The PSGs don’t usually engage with the NPAs,” Dureza said.

Hours later, PO1 Pingol was killed by rebels, believed to be from the Guerrilla Front 68 of the NPA’s northern Mindanao committee, in the Bukidnon town, said Supt. Gonda.

Gonda said Pingol was shot to the back, and the policeman died after receiving first-aid treatment given by soldiers.

He said government troops were deployed to the area to launch pursuit operations against the rebels and to conduct clearing operations in Pangantucan.

Dureza said the government peace panel already informed their counterparts in the NDF and a third-party facilitator in Norway about the postponement of the exploratory talks.

“I called up our third party facilitator in Norway. This is the group that supports some of the expenses for the talks. I explained to them that in the meantime we won’t pursue with the backchannel talks,” he said.

Dureza, however, clarified that the government is not closing its doors for the possible resumption of peace talks with the NDF.

“If the atmosphere is already conducive for the peace talks, yes, we will resume our engagements with the NDF,” said Dureza.

The fifth round of formal peace talks with the NDF scheduled last May 27 to June 2 in The Netherlands was also called off by President Rodrigo Duterte. (with reports from malu cadelina manar of mindanews)