insurgent attacks in Philippines 'making peace process difficult'

Manila: Continued attacks by communist insurgents on big business interests is threatening the peace process, a senior government adviser said.

Teresita Quintos-Deles, Presidential Peace Adviser said recent attrocities perpetrated by the communist armed wing, the New Peoples' Army (NPA) are threatening to throw off balance the already slow moving process to end 42-years of insurgency by the Communist Party of the Philippines.

On Monday, the NPA had carried out devastating attacks on three mining companies operating in Surigao del Norte. The Nickel Asia Corp---the country's biggest nickel concern, the Taganita Mining Corp and the Platinum Metals Group in Claver town. The insurgent operations had cost the lives of three private security guards watching over the properties as well as an estimated P3 billion (Dhs 249,813,044) in loses for the firms.

Some 300 NPA guerrillas took part in the operation where several workers were held hostage and several heavy equipment were torched.

Quintos-Deles said the attacks would make the peace process more difficult as she said, it "undermine people's confidence in the peace process, creating a ‘disconnect' between agreements made on the peace table and what is happening on the ground."

The official also took the opportunity to pitch for a ceasefire in light of the attacks.

"Peace talks are more difficult when there is no accompanying ceasefire on the ground," she said in a statement.

She said that devastating insurgent attacks nevertheless, she said the government remains committed to push through with the peace negotiations in the meantime.

On the part of the palace, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said it believes that the incident is isolated.

"However, the incident undermines the Peace Process and makes it difficult to pursue negotiations. However, we remain determined to fulfill our people's aspirations for peace. We hope that the rebels will do likewise. The communities in Surigao were the greatest victims here: the attack has affected their employment and safety," he said.

Luis Jalandoni, chair of the rebel negotiating arm, the National Democratic Front, on the otherhand, said that the government under President Benigno Aquino III had been protecting foreign companies that had been exploiting the country's natural resources without giving due benefit to the residents.

"President Aquino reacts to the offensives of the NPA against certain mines in Surigao del Norte as if he were merely the caretaker of the foreigners and local big compradors, Jalandoni said.

Jalandoni said that by playing into the hand of the foreign firms, Aquino had wittingly allowed the extraction of "nonrenewable resources such as mineral ores for export at dirt cheap prices and kills the Philippine prospects for industrialisation.

The government is engaged in peace negotiations to end more than four decades of insurgency with Norway serving as third party negotiator.