The Department of Justice (DOJ) will cite numerous ambuscades carried out by suspected communist rebels in the government鈥檚 petition聽to legally declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People鈥檚 Army (NPA) as terrorist聽groups.
Among the attacks cited was the ambush done by suspected communist rebels against soldiers responding to help civilians in a storm-hit聽village in Catubig, Northern Samar, according to Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Peter Ong.
鈥淭hese are very recent incidents,鈥� Ong said in a press conference聽on Wednesday. 鈥淭he attack on the rescue聽operations ng military sa Catubig, Samar (during) typhoon Urduja.鈥�
The troops were aiding victims of the storm on December 17, when the suspected communist rebels attacked them, injuring two soldiers.
Reports said the military unit聽was heading toward Barangay Hinagoyonon, Catubig to assist residents affected by flooding when the NPA opened fire at them.
搁贰础顿:听2 soldiers injured in ambush by NPA rebels in Northern Samar
鈥淲e were able to gather incidents, they call it atrocities, tactical offensives, incidents of terrorist acts, but we want聽to focus in the incidents after the President assumed office,鈥� he said.
Ong said the attacks occurred as President Rodrigo Duterte was 鈥渆xtending his hand鈥� and 鈥渟howing good faith鈥澛爄n the peace talks between the government and the communists.
鈥淭he point is, the President was extending his hand, showing his good faith and sincerity for just and lasting聽peace, and yet ito pa ang mga offensives ang kapalit ng peace negotiations (these offensives wre their answer to the pace negotiations),鈥� Ong said.
The petition was expected to be filed with the court within January, Ong said, explaining the DOJ was still waiting聽for certified copies of incident reports on the attacks.
鈥淧erhaps (it would be filed) within the month, kaya na ito. So many incidents, I鈥檓 still waiting for the reports to聽come in, certified true copies of the reports,鈥� Ong said.
鈥淲e listed about 15 incidents. Baka i-zero in namin ito sa 10 or 12 (Maybe we can zero-in to around 10 to 12),鈥� he said.
Duterte signed a proclamation declaring the CPP-NPA as 鈥渢errorist groups,鈥� presidential spokesman Harry Roque聽announced on December.
Roque said that any person caught financing and supporting the CPP-NPA will also be held liable under the law.
DOJ Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II earlier said he has formed a team of prosecutors to file a formal petition in聽court to legally declare the groups as 鈥渢errorists.鈥�
搁贰础顿:听DOJ to ask court to declare CPP-NPA a terror group
鈥淚t has excellent chances (of being approved) because of the numerous supporting evidence we have (showing)聽that they are committing terroristic activities despite numerous initiatives of President Duterte to reach out to聽them,鈥� Aguirre said in a text message to reporters on December 6. /jpv