THE Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) called the statement of Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founder Jose Ma. Sison as "nonsense" after the latter defended the recent attack of its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA) against the Presidential Security Group (PSG) in Arakan, North Cotabato last week.
"It doesn't make sense yong statement ni Joma Sison because yong freedom of movement, all of us [has the right] to move freely wherever we want to go, whatever we want to do. Iyon din ang pino-proteksyonan ng mga kasundalohan at kapulisan ‘yong mga civil liberties natin," Eastmincom deputy commander and Martial Law spokesperson Brigadier General Gilbert Gapay said yesterday.
This developed after Sison said in a television interview that the government troops or PSG personnel must have had secured a clearance first before they entered in their strongholds.
"There is no ceasefire, no prior identification, no permission for the other side to be on the spot. Whether there is a ceasefire or not, there has to be some kind of clearance," Sison told ANC.
He also questioned the presence of the two convoys on the area "as if seeking some encounter".
Authorities earlier said that they are heading to Cagayan de Oro City as advance party of President Rodrigo Duterte.
But, Gapay said that nobody can restrict the movement of the people even the NPAs claiming that they control the area and that is their territory.
He also said NPA's recent attack is a manifestation of their intention to commit harm both to military personnel and civilians as they are waiting for a target that will pass through whether military or business establishment and chance upon the PSG vehicles.
"Why they are there is to conduct atrocities and inflict harm not only to the government security forces but to innocent civilians as well," he said.
He also noted that the incident happened on a national highway which means everybody will pass through it.
"Nag-lay na sila ng IED so it means they total disregarded the safety of everyone," he said. "So I think that statement is nonsense."
Police Regional Office-Davao director Manuel Gaerlan said that the NPA no longer cares about the safety of the civilians.
"Wala namang nakakaalam na PSG yon, unmarked vehicles yon. Those on the ground in NPA hindi naman nila alam ‘yon basta nag pass through lang. How can they say now that they are after military targets only?" Chief Superintendent Gaerlan said. "Not even kami police I supposed some other AFP units."
"Ibig sabihin, ganon ang sistema nila. Whether you are military or you are civilian, pag nag pass through ka sa kanilang checkpoint, babakbakan ka that is human rights to them," he said.