00:00 A month after both government and the insurgency expressed willingness to resume peace talks,
00:05 the cool and quiet city of Malaybalay in landlocked Bukidnon province in the Mindanao mainland
00:11 was jolted by a series of serious armed clashes between the government and insurgents.
00:17 A military statement said the fighting broke out in four remote villages south of Malaybalay city
00:22 on the kickoff of a two unilateral two-day truce declared by the communist party of the Philippines
00:28 and its armed wing the new people's army. Authorities of the 4th infantry division
00:34 headquartered in Patagagayan de Oro said nine rebels lost their lives in the armed clashes
00:40 but it did not elaborate beyond the death count. The AFP stands pat on its decision not to engage
00:47 in ceasefire talks with rebels after years of lessons learned the hard way on the CPP-NPA
00:53 turning their backs on truce terms once a deal is clinched and sealed with a handshake.
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