Military operations against New People’s Army rebels in Negros Island yesterday grounded to a halt for seven  hours, to allow soldiers to watch the boxing rematch of Manny Pacquiao and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez, Col. Honorato de los Reyes, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, said.

De los Reyes said the observance yesterday of the unilateral ceasefire, which started 8 a.m. and ended 3 p.m., was in compliance with the order of Armed Forces chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon.

Pacquiao is an Army reservist with a rank of Master Sergeant, military records show.

The seven-hour SOMO (suspension of military operations) in Negros, ended without any untoward incident, as indicated by the absence of insurgency-related activity, De los Reyes said.

Records of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office did not show any reported crime incident from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. yesterday.

Despite the temporary observance of SOMO, de los Reyes said soldiers also went on their routine activities in their respective areas, except the conduct of military operations against armed insurgents.

Soldiers assigned in Army battalions and company headquarters and policemen at  police stations  who had watched the boxing rematch, were jubilant after Pacquiao snatched the World Boxing Council super featherweight title from Marquez.

Tactical offensives against armed communist insurgents in Negros resumed last night.

Esperon earlier challenged the CPP-NPA to enter into a ceasefire agreement with the government if they want to resume the stalled peace talks.*GPB

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