Insurgency: Gains From Being Declared Insurgency Free

Five more towns have been declared insurgency free by the AFP. The first one is Tanay in Rizal. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1778335/military-declares-tanay-in-rizal-as-npa-free-area

Tanay town in Rizal has been declared free from the presence of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), the Philippine Army said on Thursday.

The 2nd Infantry Division made the declaration in a ceremony in Tanay Municipal Hall on Monday, led by division commander Maj. Gen. Roberto Capulong along with other local government officials.

The ceremony also witnessed the redeclaration of the NPA and its political wing Communist Party of the Philippines and National Democratic Front as persona non-grata in the said town.

“The declaration of Tanay as ‘insurgency-free’ is a testament to our unwavering dedication and collective efforts,” Capulong said in a statement.

“This achievement represents a significant stride towards a peaceful and prosperous future not only for Tanay but the entire Rizal province,” he added.

Established on March 29, 1969, the NPA has currently around 2,112 forces with 1,800 weapons in its arsenal, according to latest military estimates.

If the NPA is currently estimated to have 2,112 members that mean in a whole year's time there has been no dent made in their organization.  

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1623551/afp-npa-down-to-2000-fighters-guerrilla-fronts-slashed-by-74-percent

The number of fighters of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) is now down to 2,000 with active NPA guerilla fronts down to just 23 during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.

AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar made the revelation during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Thursday.

“Now as to the armed components, they [have been] reduced to less than 2,000,” he added, while pointing out that some 25,000 supporters of the Reds have also surrendered to authorities.

How is it that a year ago the NPA had less than 2,000 members and now they have 2,112 members? This exact number has been floating around since December, 2022.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/12/27/2233464/only-2112-npa-fighters-left-afp

The military, releasing figures yesterday, said the NPA has been reduced to 2,112 members with 1,876 firearms, from 89 to 22 guerrilla fronts with 17 already classified as weakened.

The crazy thing is that no one in the media questions these numbers. Either the AFP is not making any gains, or the AFP does not know how many NPA are left and they are juist guessing, or the NPA are much stronger than the AFP is letting on. \

The second town to be declared insurgency free is also in Rizal.

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/10/teresa-rizal-declared-insurgency-free-by-police-military-1

The police and military forces have declared the town of Teresa in Rizal insurgency-free.

On Friday, June 9, officials of the Rizal Police Provincial Office (PPO), the Philippine Army’s Second Infantry Division, provincial and municipal government units signed a pact attesting that insurgency is no longer a threat in Teresa, Rizal.

Police Col. Dominic Baccay, PPO director, said the Declaration of Stable Internal Peace and Security (SIPS) for Teresa was supported by a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed by the stakeholders.

The MOU was inked by the municipal government officials, the provincial government, the police and the military to ensure that the town will remain free from terrorist threats or activities.

The declaration of the SIPS, which also calls for the tagging of the Communist Party of the Philippines, New People’s Army, and the National Democratic Front  as "persona-non-grata" in Teresa, was the second in the province since May, after the Philippine Army declared Tanay as an insurgency-free municipality.

The other three towns declared insurgency free are in Quezon. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2023/06/09/2272550/3-more-quezon-towns-cleared-communist-rebels

Three more towns in Quezon province have been declared free of communist rebels.

Candelaria, Calauag and Tiaong were declared cleared of communist insurgents in the past two days.

Thirty-six towns and two cities in Quezon had earlier been declared insurgency-free.

Quezon police director Col. Ledon Monte and Col. Joel Jonson, 85th Infantry Division commander, said police, military and local government officials signed memoranda of understanding on stable internal peace and security in the areas.

Authorities said the areas had been freed of the presence of New People’s Army rebels after local government units and the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict managed internal security operations.

The government of Tiazon says they are now looking forward to economic development. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/8/quezon-town-looks-forward-to-gains-from-being-declared-insurgency-free

This town was officially declared insurgency-free by the Philippine National Police on Wednesday, June 7.

Town officials called this a new chapter in its long history of being Ground Zero to clashes between the military and communist rebels.

A Memorandum of Understanding was signed certifying the declaration in ceremonies held at the Villa Escudero Plantation.

Signatories said that the level of NPA activities here is very manageable and that internal security operations in this town has been handed over to the MTF-ELCAC to enable the local government to have a shared responsibility in managing peace and order.

In a speech, Mea said his town will finally have a shot at progress even if it still lacks industrial sites to attract investors.

"A few years ago, the town of Tiaong was not even worth mentioning, believed to be infested with insurgents, which perhaps contributed to its slow development," said Mea.

He recalled that his first order of business after being elected mayor in the 2022 elections was to usher in economic development.

The mayor said he has been enticing entrepreneurs from Metro Manila to invest in his town and its people.

"The level of NPA activities here is very manageable??" That means Tiazon is NOT insurgency free! Who are they trying to fool? Investors? 

Clashes are still ongoing between the NPA and the AFP.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1203158

At least three New People’s Army (NPA) rebels were wounded in a clash with military troops at the boundary of Barangays Cotmo and Aldezar in Sipocot town, Camarines Sur on Wednesday, the Philippine Army (PA) said.

Maj. Frank Roldan, 9th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office chief, identified the wounded rebels as Nickson Calinog alias Tom, squad leader of Platoon1, Komite Larangan Guirilla2 (KLG2) Sub-Regional Committee1 (SRC1), Nelson Marinay alias Nongnong and Arlene Marinay, all members of the same platoon.

He said all three wounded rebels are now in the custody of the military and will undergo custodial debriefing.

"They were left by their comrades after they fled in different directions. The three wounded rebels received medical treatment. They will undergo custodial debriefing for information that will help to encourage their other members to surrender," Roldan said.

The firefight that lasted 15 minutes ensued when the troops responded to the information from concerned citizens regarding the presence of several armed men.

Government troops recovered from the clash site two M16 rifles, two .45 caliber pistols and several propaganda materials.

"The encounter site is currently being searched by troops and subsequent operations are still going on," he said.

Civilians are also in harms way of the NPA's land mines. 

https://mb.com.ph/2023/6/5/military-identifies-2-civilians-killed-by-npa-detonated-landmine

The Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) 8th Infantry Division (8ID) identified on Monday, June 5, the two civilian workers who died when suspected New People's Army (NPA) rebels detonated an anti-personnel mine in Las Navas, Northern Samar.

Killed were Roel Lebico and Jerson Cabe, both residents of Barangay Quirino, Las Navas, and were hired as construction workers in an ongoing farm-to-market road project in the town.

A report from the 8ID showed that an anti-personnel mine planted by suspected NPA rebels suddenly went off in Brgy. Magsaysay last June 3.

The victims, according to the military, were passing by in the area and hit by shrapnel. They also sustained gunshot wounds, the report added.

Maj. Gen. Camilo Z.  Ligayo, 8ID commander, condemned the attack allegedly perpetrated by members of the NPA's Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee (EVRPC) as it "cost the lives of innocent civilians."

"The EVRPC blatantly disregards the human rights which is evident on their continuous use of banned weapons. The use of indiscriminate weapons increases the chance of jeopardizing the lives of innocent non-combatants," Ligayo said, noting that anti-personnel mine is prohibited for use during armed hostilities under the 1997 Ottawa Convention.

"Let us call on the CTGs [communist terrorist group] to stop their violent activities and discuss things in a peaceful manner," he added.

"Discuss things in a peaceful manner?" But the DND has rejected peace talks. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1781063/fwd-gibo-not-keen-on-peace-talks-with-cpp-ndfp-join-politics-apply-as-legitimate-political-party

Newly-appointed Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. is not keen on resuming peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), and instead urged them to return to the fold and engage in legitimate discussions — by becoming a full-time political party.

In a press briefing hosted by the Presidential Communications Office on Thursday, Teodoro said that it had been his long-time position to oppose peace talks, noting that the current setup allows communist rebels to rejoin society and give up their arms.

Teodoro said this after several groups urged him to resume peace talks with NDFP so that the decades-long civil war waged by the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), could come to a close.

(My personal position is no, this has been my position for a long time, and I think that is the position of the security cluster as of this time.  Because first and foremost, the government has been open with past members of the CPP-NPA-NDFP returning to the fold, the OPAPP route is available to help them and rehabilitate.)

(I think peace talks — for me, in the version of our democratic process — we can talk about these issues in the proper forum, which is Congress, where they would join legitimate political processes.)

He, however, clarified that front organizations are still illegal.

(The CPP is not banned, Republic Act No. 1700 has been repealed long ago.  But indirect and direct support to the armed struggle that’s the problem.  So to me there is no such thing as — it’s an oxymoron, a legal front: there is no legal front.  Fronts are illegal.)

If CPP intends to become a legitimate political party, Teodoro said the group should vow to refrain from resorting to subversive activities.

“I mean, ideologically to me, it’s a farce, so what we intend to do is to convince those that are still continuing — whatever business they are continuing which is against the law — to come back and join the fold of law and join hands for national development,” he said.

“And as a political party they can register as a legitimate political party just as long as there is evidence that there is a total disavowal of resort to subversive means in order to gain political power.  All of these theories, Marxism, et cetera, these are political theories and the end is to gain political power,” he added.

There is only ONE Communist Party of the Philippines, not many. So for him to say the CPP is not banned but front groups are is totally disingenuous since the CPP is intricately tied to the NPA. There is no discussing things peacefully with them. There is surrender or death.