The attack by the New People's Army (NPA) on Samar island Saturday has weakened confidence about the prospects of a negotiated settlement between the rebels and the government, President Benigno Aquino's chief peace adviser said.

"Such attacks by the NPA undermine the aspirations of our people for peace and make the way forward more difficult," Teresita Deles told reporters.

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which has been waging a Maoist inspired rebellion since 1969 in what is among Asia's longest-running communist insurgencies.

The rebels on Saturday allegedly murdered a local official in Samar and then killed eight police officers sent to the area to investigate the incident.

"The attack by the NPA on police officers on a law enforcement mission in Northern Samar yesterday is condemnable," Deles said.

She said she was concerned over police reports that the NPA used landmines in the ambush, after which they stole the personal effects of the policemen.

"If true, such acts would be in clear violation of humanitarian law which we have pledged to uphold," Deles said.

The attack is the first since the NPA rejected a ceasefire offer made by President Aquino in his first address before Congress last month as a condition of resuming negotiations.

The 5,000-member NPA has been waging a Maoist rebellion across much of the Philippines since 1969 that has left thousands of people dead despite repeated vows by the military to crush them.

Negotiations with the CPP collapsed in 2005 after the government of then-president Gloria Arroyo refused their demands, including the removal of the CPP from US and EU watchlists of foreign terrorist organisations.

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