DEFENSE CHIEF DECLARES ‘ALL-OUT WAR’ VS. NPA
3 encounters in 1 day in Southern Tagalog, Bicol
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday declared an “allout war” against the communist New People’s Army even as leftist groups appealed for the resumption of peace talks.
“It is an all-out war because they are considered by President (Rodrigo) Duterte as terrorists,” Lorenzana told a press conference.
“What is their difference from the Abu Sayyaf? No difference at all. They are there to terrorize people,” he added.
Lorenzana vowed to hunt down members of the NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. He clarified that the all-out war would be merely against “armed component.”
“All-out war is to target the armed component, not the peaceful, loving (ones who are just) farming there. We will not coerce them. It’s the armed component who continue to intimidate people, who have arms,” Lorenzana said.
A day before Lorenzana’s allout war declaration, the Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines ( AFP) reported three separate clashes in just one day with the New People’s Army (NPA) rebels in Southern Tagalog and Bicol region.
In a report on Tuesday from the command headquarters here, Solcom information office chief Major Virgilio J. Perez Jr. said troopers of the 31st Infantry Battalion led by 2nd Lieutenant Niko Pendejito clashed with 15 NPA rebels in Kabungahan in Trece Martirez, Casiguran, Sorsogon Monday morning.
Perez said that during the 15-minute firefight, Private First Class Mart Maximo Odsinada and Corporal Jerome Tiu were wounded.
Also on Monday afternoon, the 93rd Division Reconnaissance Company encountered an unde- termined number of NPA rebels in Bantulinao, Amutag in Aroroy, Masbate.
Perez said that the military recovered four improvised explosive devices (IEDs), ammunition for an M14 rifle, personal belongings and subversive documents left by the fleeing rebels after the skirmish.
Almost simultaneous with the Masbate encounter in the afternoon, soldiers from the 80th Infantry Battalion clashed with 10 NPA insurgents in Lukutang Maliit, San Isidro in Rodriguez, Rizal.
The headquarters 202nd Infantry (Unifier) Brigade of the 2nd Infantry ( Jungle Fighter) Division (2ID) of the Philippine Army based in Cavinti, Laguna reported that they received information from the residents on the presence of the communist rebels.
“We will hit them hard,” SOLCOM Commander Lieutenant General Ferdinand F. Quidilla stressed following the directives from AFP Chief of Staff General Eudardo Año to intensify pursuit operations of the military units.
With the termination of the ceasefire and upon orders of the military hierarchy, Lt. Gen. Quidilla vowed to continue military offensive operations to decimate NPAs in the Southern Tagalog and Bicol Region.
Troops from the 80th Infantry Battalion under Lieutenant Colonel Randolph G. Cabangbang, Battalion Commander, reported that their Alpha Company soldiers fought the estimated 10 NPA rebels in Rodriquez, Rizal sub-village Lukutang Maliit for about 10 minutes, causing rebels to scamper to different directions from the pursuing troops.
Lt. Col. Cabangbang said that after the firefight, the military recovered one magazine of ammunition and several subversive documents from the fleeing rebels.
2ID Commander Major General Rhoderick M. Parayno also declared sustained combat operations within the 2ID’s area of responsibility in order to achieve peace and development.
“The enemies of the government shall expect massive combat operations as we are now more focused in protecting the people from any threat,” Maj. Gen. Parayno stressed, but added that the government forces “are still open for those NPAs who would like to return to the folds of law.”
Be the peacemaker of our time. LEFTIST GROUPS TO PRESIDENT RODRIGO DUTERTE