Army: NPA rebels kill militiaman's wife in Albay

SUSPECTED members of the New People's Army (NPA) killed the wife of a militiaman in Albay after the communist rebels terminated the holiday ceasefire, the military said Thursday.

Militiaman Arnel Yuson was returning home with his wife on board a motorcycle when they were ambushed by alleged NPA rebels around 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Ligao City, according to Major Harold Cabunoc, Army spokesperson.

Lieutenant Colonel Audrey Pasia of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Batallion said the NPA bandits "rained a hail of bullets" at the victims.

Yuson was able to escape unhurt but his wife died of fatal wounds during the ambush by at least three heavily-armed bandits along the road in Barangay Oma-oma.

Yuson was forced to leave his wife behind to report the incident to the authorities, Pasia added.

On Wednesday, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) informed all NPA commands and units that the temporary ceasefire order issued last December 20, 2012 will end 11:59 of January 2 instead of January 15, the original agreed date for the termination of the truce.

"The CPP has decided to abbreviate the ceasefire order to ensure that units of the New People's Army and people's militias will not be placed in an unduly disadvantaged position when the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ends its suspension of military offensives by midnight tonight," the CPP said in a statement.

On the other hand, the Government of the Philippines (GPH) negotiating panel said the nationwide ceasefire mutually agreed by the National Democratic Front, the CPP's political arm, will remain effective until January 15.

"Our security forces will maintain its unilateral declaration of [Suspension of Military Operations and Suspension of Police Operations], despite the CPP’s termination, and will stand ready to defend and protect our people," the GPH said. (Emmanuel Louis Bacani/Sunnex)