The Standard - 2016 January 04 - Monday

Page 1

VOL. XXIX NO. 326 3 Sections 32 Pages P18 MONday : JaNUaRy 4, 2016 www.thestandard.com.ph editorial@thestandard.com.ph

‘Supreme Court must end bullying’

A3

aFp-npa CLaSheS to reSume Soon By Florante S. Solmerin

CLASHES between government troops and communist rebels are expected to resume as the truce declared by both sides expired Sunday, and the military accused the other side of violating its own ceasefire four times.

“Back to the old ways,” said Armed Forces spokesman Col. Restituto Padilla, after the suspension of military operations was lifted. The communist New People’s Army was the first to declare its unilateral ceasefire from Dec. 23 to Jan. 3. The military followed suit. “As soon as the Somo ends and the unilateral ceasefire with the CPP [Communist Party of the Philippines] and NPA comes to a halt tonight, the Armed Forces will cease from its active defense mode and will switch back to full military operations against all

enemies of the state,” Padilla said. While the ceasefire was in effect, the military accused the NPA of attacking government troops in Samar and Camarines Sur. Padilla said the NPA, the armed wing of the CPP, also launched attacks against troops in the provinces of Surigao, Compostela Valley and Bukidnon during the holidays. The NPA, which marks its 47th founding anniversary in March, has not issued a statement. The military says that the number of NPA combatants has fallen from 24,000 in the

1980s to about 4,000 today, but the CPP and its negotiating arm, the National Democratic Front claim the number of NPA fighters has risen to 10,000. Despite all the modern infantry, air and naval equipment purchased to combat internal security threats, the Armed Forces has been unable to crush the communist insurgency or various terrorist movements in Mindanao. The Palace on Sunday said the government did not violate its own ceasefire as the NPA attacked the military in Camarines Sur on New Year’s Day. Next page

Back to school. An employee at the Pedro Guevara Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Manila, cleans up in preparation for its pupils’ return after the holidays. Danny Pata

Foreign monitors worried about BBL

A3

Abaya: PNoy was just being over-eager By Sandy araneta

TRANSPORTATION Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya said Sunday that President Benigno Aquino III’s boast that he and Abaya would let themselves be run over by a train if they failed to extend the LRT line to Cavite by 2015 was simply “an expression of eagerness.” Interviewed on radio dzBB, Abaya

echoed Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, who said the President’s promise “should not be taken literally.” Instead, he said, the vow made more than two years ago just showed his eagerness to pursue and complete the project. Abaya added that he had just been appointed to the Cabinet when Aquino

issued the statement during a campaign sortie for his senatorial slate in April 2013. “At that time, they were in the very early stages of PPP [public private partnership] procurement. Unfortunately, there were two failed biddings. I’m sure the President did not plan for the failed biddings. Nor did we plan them,” Next page Abaya said in Filipino.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
The Standard - 2016 January 04 - Monday by Manila Standard - Issuu