AFP intensifies attacks vs NPA
With the termination of peace talks with the Communist Party of the PhilippinesNational Democratic Front (CPP-NDF), the military has intensified operations against the New People’s Army (NPA).
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is also bracing for similar action from the rebel group by improving its security and defense system to protect innocent civilians from attacks.
“We expect the NPAs to intensify their attacks against innocent and defenseless targets,” AFP chief Gen. Rey Leonardo Guerrero said yesterday.
“My directive to the troops is to intensify our focused military operations to destroy the NPA, and to protect our communities against terrorism,” he added.
Asked if the military is ready for intensified rebel attacks, Guerrero said the military is intensifying operations to stop the atrocities committed by the communist rebels.
The military’s Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) headed by Lt. Gen. Benjamin Madrigal Jr. had directed units to raise security posture and prevent NPA rebels from conducting atrocities against communities, economic establishments, military posts and personnel.
He said President Duterte’s act of signing Proclamation 360 last Nov. 23 calls for the termination of peace negotiations with the CPP-NDF because of the rebels’ atrocities against innocent civilians.
Madrigal said the CPP could reciprocate the President’s pronouncement with violent attacks and atrocities.
“We have to be vigilant, intensify our monitoring and be pro-active in order to prevent them from terrorizing communities; their actions in the previous months reflect their character and intent,” he said.
“While our government exerted its best effort to reach out to their group to end this insurgency through peace agreement, the CPP-NPANDF has reciprocated with treachery, acts of violence and hostilities,” Madrigal stressed.
A soldier was wounded during an encounter between troopers from the Army’s 24th Infantry Battalion and suspected NPA rebels yesterday afternoon in Sallapadan, Abra.
Lt. Col. Dominic Baluga, commander of the 24th IB, said Private Jefrey Siron was hit on the right leg when the rebels ambushed soldiers at around 2:25 p.m. at Sitio Nagas-asan, Barangay Ud-udiao in Sallapadan.
He added that several guerrillas were believed to have been wounded as the rebels retreated from pursuing troops.
Suspected NPA rebels also attacked a quarry site and destroyed heavy equipment Sunday night in Barangay Orong in Kabankalan City, Negros Occidental.
Lt. Col. Antonio Tumnog, commanding officer of the 1st Negros Island Geographical Battalion, yesterday said that about 12 communist rebels took the cellular phones of the quarry site employees before blowing up the backhoe owned by Raquel Siguero.
Estimated damage was placed at P200,000, according to Tumnog.
The latest atrocity committed by the NPA took place after communist rebels staged two ambushes in Panay island, killing a policeman and injuring 14 other police last week.
Tumnog said the communist rebels did not harm the quarry employees before fleeing.
He dismissed the incident as part of the extortion activities of communist rebels in Negros and also to prove that the NPA is still strong.
Tumnog said he believes the armed suspects are members of the Central Negros Front of the Komiteng Rehiyonal Negros.
Rebels to free cops
Communist rebels in Caraga have asked the military to enforce a 10-day suspension of military and police operations in at least six towns in Surigao del Norte so that the NPA could safely release two policemen captured by the guerrillas last week.
Police Officers 2 John Doverte and Alfredo Degamon, members of the Placer municipal police in Surigao del Norte, were manning an outpost when the rebels accosted them in Barangay Bad-as last Nov. 13.
Ka Oto, leader of the NPA’s Guerrilla Front 16, said Doverte and Degamon would be released on condition that the Army and police order their forces to stand down in some villages in the towns of Alegria, Tubod, Placer, Bacuag, Gigaquit and Claver.
He said the decision to release the captives was a gesture of sincerity in pursuing peace talks with the government.
Oto said the NPA no longer had any reason to detain the policemen after an investigation cleared the two captives of any direct involvement in crimes like extrajudicial killing, drug trafficking and extortion activities.
Lt. Col. Julio Osias, commander of the Army’s 81st Infantry Battalion based in Ilocos Sur, said the military had launched a program to recruit residents to become soldiers to prevent rebel influence in the area.
Osias said the Army organized a youth leadership summit (YLS) over the weekend in Candon, Ilocos Sur attended by some 65 men who could be recruited by the military to promote awareness against lawless groups like the NPA and to prepare the youth to become active responders to rebel atrocities and disasters.
He said the rebels have recently been recruiting young men in several barangays of Candon City.
The Philippine Army wants to recruit at least 500 soldiers in the Ilocos region.
Meanwhile, the citizen’s group Yes for Peace urged the Office of the Presidential Adviser for the Peace Process to adopt its template of consultation to build a peace constituency.