Aquino: Talks with NDF to push through despite unstable truce

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday expressed disappointment over violent incidents that marred the ongoing ceasefire between government troops and communist rebels, but said his administration will still push for the peace talks next year. “The government will demonstrate how sincere it is in trying to achieve settlement and peace through dialogue rather than just the use of arms. We will do what we have to do," Aquino told reporters in an interview in Malacañang. The 19-day ceasefire, which started on Dec. 16 and will last until Jan. 3 next year, is a confidence-building measure for the possible resumption of peace negotiations on Feb. 15-21 in Oslo, Norway. Violence erupted between the two camps when on Dec. 20, New People’s Army (NPA) rebels ambushed a government militiaman in Guihilungan town in Negros Oriental. The militiaman, Larry Bustamante, survived the attack, but the military considered it as a violation of the truce. Similarly, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) accused the military of ceasefire violation in Occidental Mindoro when it deployed soldiers allegedly to assault a house being visited by NPA rebels. The military claimed it was just facilitating the surrender of an NPA member. Aquino’s peace adviser, meanwhile, said she would wait for a formal report first before concluding if these incidents constitute ceasefire violations. “We will wait for the full report on this matter," said Secretary Teresita “Ging" Deles in a separate interview on Monday. Like Aquino, Deles also said she was disappointed that the ceasefire doesn’t seem to be as peaceful as they expected it to be. “Of course we are always disappointed that yung ating inaasahan sa pagdeklara ng (what we were expecting during the) suspension of military offensive, that it would be a quiet, peaceful time for the people to be able to celebrate Christmas, it is always disappointing when there is violence instead," she said. Deles also expressed hope that the ambush on Bustamante was an isolated case as she admitted that it would not be good for the looming talks between the Philippine government and National Democratic Front (NDF). The NPA is the armed wing of the CPP while the NDF is its political wing. - KBK, GMANews.TV