The planned resumption of peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) late this month will not prevent the law enforcement operations against the communist rebels in the countryside, a police official said.

Senior Supt. Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman, explained that they could not just let their guards down especially that the rebels are armed and that their main duty is to preserve peace and order nationwide.

“Our law enforcement operations will continue. It will never stop,” Espina told reporters in an interview.

Part of the continuing law enforcement operations, the official said, is the serving of search and arrest warrants against communist rebels, especially those who have already been identified and charged in the court in the conduct of some atrocities.

Earlier, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Avelino Razon, Jr. revealed that the government and the NDFP have temporarily set last week of Augusts as the start of the resumption of peace talks in Oslo, Norway.

One of the high-ranking communist rebel leaders identified as Elizabeth Principe had already been released last month while the release of another, Randall Echanis, is now being worked out, both as a gesture of sincerity for the negotiations.

Like Razon, Espina said the PNP is also confident that the negotiations between the two sides would be fruitful, what with Razon’s revelations that one of the issues that will be discussed is the cessation of hostilities.

“We are optimistic that the peace talks will have positive results,” said Espina.

Police are also in the forefront in the campaign against communist insurgency through its elite Special Action Force. Police stations in the remote areas are also the favorite targets of communist rebels.

Based on the agreement between the police and military leadership, the PNP will assume the responsibility of totally stamping out New People’s Army once the military reduced its number to “insignificant level” by 2010.