MANILA, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine government expressed concern on Tuesday over the series of attacks launched by the leftist rebels against its troops, saying it endangers the government unilateral ceasefire to smoothen the peace talks.
An army spokesman, Col. Bartolome Bacarro, said the military has tallied at least nine attacks, including the ambush of soldiers in Isabela, a province in northern Philippines, last Monday. Two soldiers were killed in the attack, he said, accusing the rebel of insincerity in forging peace.
In Batangas province, south of Manila, the military said the rebels attacked a posh beach resort in Nasugbu town on Monday night. The rebels reportedly disarmed resort's security men and carted away an undermined number of high-powered firearms from the resort.
Bacarro said seven other rebel attacks against government troops and private companies were recently recorded in the provinces of Agusan del Norte, Sarangani, Surigao del Norte and Compostela Valley, a province in the Davao region in the southern Philippines.
In Kiamba town in Sarangani province, the military claimed that rebels set on fire a passenger van on Monday. He said rebels abducted on Sunday a soldier in Alegria town in Surigao del Norte. The next day, he said that a solder was killed and three others wounded in an attack on Monday in Surigao City.
Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said the military is mulling to recommend the lifting of the unilateral ceasefire if the rebels continue their attacks.
Peace Adviser Jesus Dureza issued a statement on Tuesday, saying the government is "distressed and extremely disturbed by the recent (rebels') attacks and harassments" in various areas nationwide.
He said the government declared the truce to pave the way for the peace talks to end the decades-long insurgency.
"We do not wish to unnecessarily squander those gains that even saw (President Rodrigo) Duterte exercising strong political will to move the peace process forward," Dureza said.
He added, "Either some in the National Democratic Front leadership talking to the government are not in full control of their own forces on the ground, or they are themselves undermining these efforts for sustainable peace, or pressuring government for certain concessions."
Dureza said the Duterte administration "will definitely walk the extra mile for peace." However, he stressed the need for the other side to "also reciprocate accordingly and do the same."
Since 1986, the government has been trying to clinch a peace deal with the rebels but failed to make any headway. Peace negotiations with the rebels were suspended in 2011 and resumed last year after Duterte came to power. Enditem
