Philippines: Clashes with communist rebels kill 7

By Roy Ramos

ZAMBOANGA CITY, the Philippines (AA) – The Philippines’ military confirmed Saturday that at least five soldiers and two communist rebels were killed in recent clashes, despite peace negotiations scheduled to start later this month.

Capt. Rhyan Batchar, 10th Infantry Division spokesman, said in a statement that a Scout Ranger platoon engaged in "field monitoring" clashed with some 60 fully armed New People's Army (NPA) guerrillas in a 45-minute gunbattle Friday morning in Monkayo town of southern Compostela Valley province.

The violence left a female NPA guerrilla dead and 13 soldiers wounded, three of whom were declared dead on arrival at a nearby hospital. One soldier was also reportedly missing in action.

In a separate clash in the village of Parasanon, one soldier was wounded but later died in hospital. Government troops also found the body of a rebel alongside a carbine rifle and an improvised explosive device.

Meanwhile another encounter in nearby Bukidnon province left one soldier dead Friday afternoon.

Capt. Joe Patrick Martinez of the 4th Infantry Division told GMA News that the two-hour clash broke out in Lilingayon village of Valencia City after security forces rushed to the area following reports of NPA rebels extorting money from residents.

He was quoted as saying that government troops managed to drive the rebels away, and "tracks of bloods were seen along NPA's withdrawal route. Civilians also saw the NPAs dragging along their casualties."

The clashes come amid preparations for renewed peace negotiations -- scheduled for Aug. 20 in Oslo, Norway -- that aim to bring an end to a decades-long guerilla war against the government.

Since his landslide victory in the May 9 election, President Rodrigo Duterte has been making overtures toward the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing, the NPA.

On Friday, the Philippines Supreme Court granted a petition filed by the presidential office for the temporary release of two jailed communist leaders to enable them to participate in the talks.

Previous negotiations with the CPP and its political wing, the National Democratic Front, collapsed in 2004 after the communists withdrew from the negotiating table on account of the renewed inclusion of founder Jose Maria Sison and the NPA on the United States terrorist list.

In 2014, negotiations again failed because previous President Benigno Aquino III turned down the rebels' demand to release detained comrades -- accusing the rebels of insincerity in efforts to achieve a political settlement.

In his peace overtures, Duterte -- who served as a mayor for 22 years prior to taking office -- has said that he will release all political prisoners if party leaders return from exile and sit down for negotiations.

He has also offered the CPP posts in his new government to smooth the way.

Since March 1969, the NPA has been waging one of Asia's longest running insurgencies in the country, which -- according to the military -- has claimed more than 3,000 lives over the past eight years.

The military estimates that the number of NPA members has dropped from a peak of 26,000 in the 1980s to less than 4,000.