Insurgency: NPA No Longer A Threat To 2025 Polls

The AFP has intensified operations in Northern Luzon to eliminate the remaining members of the NPA. 

https://www.philstar.com/nation/2025/04/13/2435541/military-intensifies-operations-vs-rebels

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has intensified operations against a remaining unit of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Northern Luzon.

From April 5 to 11, troops under the Joint Task Force Tala of the Army’s 5th Infantry Division (ID) launched security operations after unidentified armed men were spotted in the mountainous area of Kabugao town in Apayao.

The AFP’s Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) said a recent firefight between government troops and suspected NPA guerrillas belonging to the Ilocos-Cordillera Regional Committee (ICRC) resulted in the recovery of several firearms including rifles, pistols, a grenade launcher and improvised explosive devices (IED) as well as phones and subversive documents.

Military units in the area have been ordered to continue pursuit operations, establish blocking positions and coordinate with the local police and medical facilities to intercept any fleeing rebel.

“Our troops remain focused and determined. This is part of our relentless pursuit to deny communist terrorist groups of a safe haven. We are committed to hit them hard and sustain pressure until peace and security are achieved in the region,” Nolcom chief Lt. Gen. Fernyl Buca said.

The military has condemned the NPA for using IEDs. It urged the public and families of wounded rebels to cooperate with authorities and help facilitate the provision of proper medical attention to their relatives.

He said bloodstains were found at the scene of the encounter, indicating the rebels suffered injuries during the encounter.

Buca said the Nolcom is bent on dismantling the NPA-ICRC.

“The command is determined to decimate all remaining communist terrorist groups,” Buca said.

They say it is part of a "relentless pursuit" to "decimate all remaining communist terrorist groups." That is a huge 180 turn from their stated desire to facilitate the surrender of the NPA remnant. 

The AFP has been pursuing the NPA wherever it remains across the nation and claim that the NPA is no longer a threat to the 2025 elections. 

https://dailyguardian.com.ph/army-claims-npa-no-longer-a-threat-to-2025-polls/

Ongoing military operations have weakened the New People’s Army (NPA) to the point where it can no longer influence the May 12 midterm elections, according to the Philippine Army’s 3rd Infantry Division.

Maj. Gen. Michael Samson, 3rd ID commander, said he sees no indication that the NPA could regain its former strength or disrupt the electoral process.

“Even more so, I don’t see them influencing the elections,” Samson said.

He noted that all military activities are being coordinated with the Regional Joint Security Coordinating Center (RJSCC), especially during the election period.

This includes continued operations against the communist terrorist group (CTG), which may affect election-related security.

While operations against remaining NPA elements are ongoing, Samson said he sees no significant impact on the elections.

“I don’t see any future effect on the elections,” he said.

He admitted, however, that armed encounters remain possible as the Army continues to pursue NPA remnants in Panay Island.

Still, Samson stressed that it is unlikely the group could influence the election outcome.

A month ago, the 301st Infantry Brigade reported that the NPA’s active combatants in Panay had dwindled to just 25, with fewer than 40 firearms.

With the neutralization of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Panay leaders, the group is now reportedly headed by a lone cadre known as alias “Ted.”

Despite this, the military considers the group “leaderless” and says its members have lost the will to fight.

Seeing as the AFP has declared the NPA to be leaderless and unable to carry out operations why would they worry about the NPA interfering in the election? Note that the Panay NPA remnant has a leader but the AFP still considers them to be leaderless. 

Ironically enough even as the AFP says the NPA is no longer a threat to the election the Army has thwarted an extortion plotted meant to threaten the election.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1248291

Government troops from the 80th Infantry (STEADFAST) Battalion clashed with remnants of the dismantled Komiteng Larangang Guerilla (KLG) Narciso in Barangay Tanauan, Real, Quezon on Wednesday.

In a message on Thursday, Lieutenant Colonel Mark Antony U. Ruby, commanding officer of the 80th Infantry Battalion (IB) Philippine Army (PA) said the rebel group, believed to have come from the Sierra Madre mountain range, attempted to re-enter Northern Quezon to extort money from local candidates through the so-called “Campaign Access Fees” — an illegal practice often used by insurgents during elections.

Acting on reports from concerned residents about the presence of armed men, the 80th IB launched a focused military operation on Wednesday afternoon.

While conducting clearing operations, government troopers were fired upon by an estimated 10 members of the rebel group, triggering a firefight that lasted for about 20 minutes. The rebels eventually withdrew from the area.

No casualties were reported on the side of the military, while traces of blood found at the scene suggest possible injuries or deaths among the fleeing rebels. Pursuit operations are ongoing.

Lt/C Ruby said that after the clash, troops recovered an M16 rifle, 14 long magazines, a high-explosive hand grenade, two 40 mm ammunition rounds, an ICOM radio, five backpacks, two bandoliers, personal belongings, and subversive documents.

He emphasized the battalion’s commitment to protecting communities and safeguarding the upcoming elections.

He also called on remaining rebels to abandon armed struggle and return to the fold of the law.

“We will not allow this. 80IB remains committed to protecting our citizens and the integrity of the upcoming election,” he stressed.

So, is the NPA a threat to the election or not? 

22 former rebels have been formerly de-radicalized after attending a month-long de-radicalization program.

https://mindanaotimes.com.ph/22-former-npa-rebels-de-radicalized/

TWENTY-TWO former rebels (FRs) have completed a month-long de-radicalization program held at the Kalayaan Center in Nabunturan, Davao de Oro, from March 11 to April 11, 2025.

Brigadier General Felix Ronnie Babac, commander of the 1001st Infantry Brigade, attended the closing program along with Josephine Frasco, head of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) of Davao de Oro.

In his address, Babac congratulated the 16th batch of FRs for embracing the life of normal citizens. 

He also expressed his gratitude for the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders and partners under the guidelines of Executive Order 70 (EO 70) of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) in their intervention for the newly graduated FRs.

The program aims to transform former members of the CPP-NPA (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army) into law-abiding citizens and productive advocates for peace. 

It is designed to prepare the FRs for their enrollment in the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP) as they reintegrate into mainstream society, free from the influence of the CPP-NPA.

Now they will be able to enroll in E-CLIP and avail of all the many free benefits like money, housing, and job training. 

Since January 354 rebels have been neutralized says the AFP.

https://manilastandard.net/news/national/314580433/afp-says-354-communist-rebels-neutralized-this-year.html

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday announced that from Jan. 1 to Apr. 10 this year, a total of 354 New People’s Army (NPA) members and supporters have been neutralized.

During a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, 303 of the communist insurgents surrendered to government forces.

In military terminology, “neutralize” means rendering individuals incapable of further action, and it may involve surrender, capture, or death during operations.

Additionally, 25 Reds were apprehended and 26 killed in encounters with government forces during the same period.

“A total of 250 firearms and 116 anti-personnel mines were either seized or surrendered and 54 encampments were seized (in the same period),” Padilla said.

She reminded the NPA holdouts that the “doors of peace will not be open forever” as the amnesty period is only until next year.

The military previously reported that 88 out of the 89 NPA guerrilla fronts have been neutralized, leaving only one still operational but already debilitated.

As ever that number contains a mix of actual rebels and mere supporters. They do not say how many actual rebels have been neutralized. 

Two sisters have shared their story about joining and then leaving the NPA to find "true freedom."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1248045

After years of shattered lives as armed rebels in the mountains of Leyte, two siblings found true freedom after leaving the New People’s Army (NPA).

Jessica Darantinao, 35, said life has finally been peaceful since she formally surrendered to authorities and applied for amnesty last year.

Her elder sister, Janeth, persuaded her to support the NPA as a member of a left-leaning youth organization in 2013. She became a full-time rebel after three years.

After fighting the government between 2016 and 2017, Jessica realized that all promises of the NPA are lies, prompting her to escape when asked to conduct a meeting with left-leaning organizations in Albuera, Leyte.

“I worked in a private company in Manila for several years before I formally surrendered to the government. I kept my identity secret for fear of my safety. I was made to believe by the NPA that soldiers would torture me if I surrendered,” Jessica told the Philippine News Agency.

The turning point was in 2022 when her classmate, who works in the military, informed her of a standing warrant of arrest against her for murder charges supposedly committed in 2018, a year after she abandoned the NPA.

Her name was dragged into the cases as an education secretary of the NPA in Leyte province.

“Since I have not formally surrendered to the government, the military thought that I was involved in a series of killings. My classmate in the Philippine Army told me that there’s no harm if I would surrender,” Jessica said.

Jessica felt a sigh of relief when the court probationally dismissed her case.

While enjoying freedom, Jessica was worried about her older sister Janeth, who was still fighting the government.

Janeth started as a youth activist in 2012 after she dropped out of college for failure to earn money to pay her school fees. She became a full-time NPA combatant in 2016 and held the position of political guide and educational secretary.

Janeth recalled how their lives in the mountains were filled with hunger, displacement, and danger for what she later realized was a “senseless” struggle.

“We wanted to help our communities, but instead, we caused more harm than good to the people. This influenced my decision to surrender, but our commander told me not to yield to authorities since soldiers would harm me,” she said.

She managed to escape in 2023 after a meeting with supporters of left-leaning groups in Sogod, Southern Leyte.

“I recruited my older sister to join the NPA, and she was the one who convinced me to surrender through letters. Now that we are free, we’re moving on from our dark past,” Janeth said.

She applied for amnesty last year to free herself from criminal liabilities for joining the armed rebellion.

“While processing my amnesty, I feel safe now since the government listens to our needs and gave us the chance to start over,” she told PNA.

Janeth and Jessica are now receiving various forms of government assistance and interventions through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), which provides livelihood support, skills training, psychological services, and even assistance with their legal cases, among others.

Lt. Col. Edgar Gabia, commanding officer of the 14th Infantry Battalion, said the Philippine Army is counting on the participation of former rebels like Jessica and Janeth for the surrender of the remaining active NPA members hiding in the mountains of Leyte and Southern Leyte provinces.

He also urged the NPA remnants to surrender and not wait to be killed during clashes.

“We will not stop conducting focused military operations. Our plea to the remaining rebels is to surrender before it’s too late. Now is the right time,” Gabia said.

He assured them that their families and communities are ready to welcome them back. 

Both of these ladies say they became NPA rebels by first joining unnamed youth organizations. The AFP has accused many group of being fronts for the NPA. Why wouldn't they name the organizations that led these ladies to the NPA?