NDFP's Agcaoili says NPA conducting medical mission in Rizal when military attacked them

The National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) on Tuesday insisted that members of the New People's Army (NPA) were conducting medical mission in Barangay Puray in Rodriguez, Rizal when they were supposedly attacked by government troops.

Fidel Agcaoili, the Netherlands-based chief peace negotiator of the NDFP, claimed that he had obtained some information from "friendly sources" from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The report supposedly stated that government troops were not in the area. They just received a tip that NPA members were in the barangay, prompting the soldiers to go there.

"Sila naghanap ng away,” Agcaoili said in a statement.

"The NPA guerrillas were in the village to reach out to the community in response to the call of the CPP (Communist Party of the Philippines) to secure the well-being and health of the people, especially in the fight against COVID-19," he added.

Agcaoili said NPA members continue to assist in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) despite being ill-equipped with medical supplies.

"[The] NPA guerrillas are on 24/7 mode to help the masses and are very good at innovating whatever are available, including the use of herbal medicines and acupuncture to respond to the medical needs of people in far-flung communities neglected by the GRP (Government of the Republic of the Philippines)," he said.

A government soldier and an NPA gunman were killed when a Philippine Army Community Support Program (CSP) Team and communist insurgents had an encounter over the weekend.

Due to this incident, the AFP had claimed that the communists were ignoring the ceasefire declaration.

Meanwhile, Macario "Ka Karyo" Sakay, spokesman of the NPA in Rizal, echoed Agcaoili's remarks, noting it was the military who had launched the attack.

"Inatake ng isang yunit ng 80th IBPA ang isang yunit ng NPA-Rizal na naghahanda para sa ika-51 anibersaryo ng BHB at maglulunsad ng pulong masa upang ihanda ang mga komunidad sa pagharap sa nagaganap na COVID-19," Sakay said in a separate statement.

Sakay also claimed that the AFP has been continuing its military operations in the area since February wherein threats and intimidation from government troops had been rampant.

"Naglulunsad ng focused military operations ang yunit ng AFP sa tabing ng Retooled Community Support Program (RCSPO) kung saan malawakan ang ginagawa nitong pandarahas, intimidasyon, pagbabanta o threat, population control sa mamamayan, sapilitang rekrutment sa CAFGU at sapilitang pagpapasuko," he said.

Sakay added government troops were not helping residents amid the enhanced community quarantine being implemented in Luzon, noting the strict quarantine only results in hunger among Filipinos.

"Walang ibinibigay na tulong ang mga militar sa mamamayan kahit pa ang paglilinaw at pagpapaliwanag sa masa kung paano iiwasan ang nakamamatay na sakit na ito," he said.

"Kagutuman ang hatid ng lockdown sa mga mamamayan kasalungat ng sinasabing layunin ng rehimeng US-Duterte na iligtas ang mamamayan sa tiyak na kapahamakan," he added.—AOL, GMA News