Insurgency: Stay Out of Elections

Election season is here and that means the NPA will be more active with their extortion activities. Thankfully Duterte has warned them to back off.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155605

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday issued a stern warning to political warlords and the New People's Army to stay out of the May 2022 elections and he would not think twice about using the police and military to ensure orderly polls.

“I will not allow fraud, tapos yung mga tigas tigas. May mga ano diyan lalo na yung matagal na sa politika. Political warlords na may mga armas (and those acting tough. Especially those who have long been in politicals, political warlords with arms),” he said in a late night public address.

He made the remark as armed personnel prepares to prevent communist terrorists from collecting "permit-to-campaign" fees from politicians.

“Pati kayong mga NPA huwag kayo sumali…Huwag kayo makialam dito sa elections (Also NPA, stay out of this. Do not interfere with elections),” he added.

Duterte, meanwhile, reiterated that he wanted to give Filipinos “clean” elections before he steps down as president.

“Gusto ko na bago ako umalis, makatikim man lang ang Pilipino ng malinis na election (Before I step down, I want FIilipinos to experience a clean election),” he said.

He also appealed to would-be candidates, especially in Mindanao, to keep the conduct of polls peaceful.  

“I am appealing to the leaders, sa lahat ng tribo (all tribes)…I said if you do not follow a peaceful path in the elections, papuntahan ko kayo ng Army pati pulis. Disarmahan lahat ng tao at kulungin ka. Ako na ang bahala magsagot kung bakit ka kinulong basta mag terorismo kayo (I will order the Army and police there. I’ll have them disarmed and detain you. I will answer to the reason why you are detained if you are involved in terrorism),” he added.

Despite Duterte's stern remarks its a given that there will be violence and extortion this election season. One cannot help but think of past elections where the government claims they have a list of all the candidates paying NPA extortion fees. 

https://www.dilg.gov.ph/news/DILG-349-government-execs-pay-CPP-NPA-extortion-money-permit-to-campaign/NC-2019-1060

"We now have a watchlist, we know you. So if you are supporting communist rebels, in any way, you ascertain yourself as a supporter of terrorism and an enemy of the state, you establish yourself as an accomplice to their cause," he says.

“We cannot win the war against terrorism if these local officials continue funding the very source of terrorism in the first place," he adds.

The DILG Secretary says that of the 349 officials, there are 11 provincial governors; five vice governors; 10 provincial board members; 55 mayors; 21 vice mayors and 41 councilors.

Also in the list are 126 barangay captains, 50 barangay councilors, and eight other barangay officials.

What happened to these people? How many are up for reelection next year? Without the answer to those questions the PNP announcing they will be cracking down on NPA election extortion is a joke.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155743

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, on Wednesday has ordered all units to spare no effort in stopping extortion activities by the New People's Army (NPA) during the election season.

Eleazar's order came after President Rodrigo Duterte warned communist rebels and political warlords to stay out of the national and local elections next year and that the NPA must be prevented from collecting "permit-to-campaign" fees from politicians.

"(I would also like to remind candidates not to give in to these illegal activities of communist rebels. Let us do everything to ensure that next year's elections will be clean and orderly)," Eleazar said in a statement.

He also assured the public that the PNP would be vigilant against communist terrorists and other local threat groups before, during, and even after the elections.

Eleazar, meanwhile, lauded the police and the members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines who conducted a joint operation that led to the confiscation of war materials in Sorsogon on Tuesday.

“I commend our police and military personnel in Bicol region for the successful operation in Sorsogon that resulted in the confiscation of war materials from the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front) as part of our intensified campaign not only to end communist insurgency but also in ensuring the peaceful conduct of elections in May next year,” Eleazar said.

I would like to remind the police that they have a list of names and they should go after those people if they are sincere in fighting NPA meddling in the elections. The operation ins Sorsogon is rather interesting. The PNP recovered a cache of weapons but can you guess why locals reported the NPA to the authorities?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1498245/govt-troops-seize-npa-arms-cache

Indiscriminate firing by the New People’s Army (NPA) caused irate Sorsogon locals to tip off government forces about the communist rebels’ weapons cache, including land mines.

Army personnel and Bicol police officers found on Tuesday at Barangay San Bartolome in Sta. Magdalena, Sorsogon, an M16 rifle; antipersonnel mines; three sacks containing 212 magazines for M16 rifles; some 5,000 rounds of 5.56-mm ammunition; and 34 blasting caps.

Army 22nd Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Nelson Mico said the tip from locals showed “their utter disgust with the nuisance caused by communist rebels.”

For 903rd Infantry Brigade commander Col. Aldwine Almase, the seizure of the arms cache thwarted atrocities the NPA rebels would have committed.

"Indiscriminate firing" is why the locals tipped off the government to this cache. Not because they disagree with the NPA ideology or because of anything patriotic but because they were making too much noise. How ironic a reason in a land which is filled with noise and which most people tolerate.

This is not the first time an arms cache has been found in Sorsogon. Last year caches were found on July 16th and June 27th. Likely there are more caches to be found in that province. One place where no caches will be found is in Dingalan.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155627

The town of Dingalan, which used to be known as a hotbed of insurgency, has been declared free from rebel presence and atrocities.

Dingalan is the second local government unit in this province declared insurgency-free.

San Luis was first declared as an area with stable internal peace and security in August.

The documents supporting the declaration were signed on Monday by Mayor Shierwin Taay at the Dingalan Municipal Hall, together with Vice Mayor Edgardo Galvez and members of the Sangguniang Bayan, and handed over to Col. Joseph Norwin Pasamonte, commander of the 703rd Infantry (Agila) Brigade of the Philippine Army.

Taay thanked the Philippine Army, which he said are committed to its mandate of helping his townmates and the province achieve peace and prosperity.

He said development will always depend on the attainment of peace as a result of the whole-of-nation approach of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“We, in the local government unit of Dingalan, strengthen our partnership with the Philippine Army in doing social services such as the Serbisyo Caravan. Our soldiers are more consistent in doing services in the Caravan,” Taay said in an interview on Tuesday.

Pasamonte recalled that the insurgency problem in Dingalan started in 1993.

“There is a big difference between the services then and now because you can see how Dingalan transformed. They no longer accept the leftist group which is the only reason why the town was not peaceful and free,” he said in another interview.

Infrastructures, providing goods and services, and cooperation of the people ended the influence of leftist groups, Pasamonte said.

The revolution started in 1969 but did not make it to Dingalan until 1993. Then 28 years later it all ended because of infrastructure and the providing of goods and services. It certainly did not because of peace talks. As for Duterte, he says he is glad that the peace talks have been terminated under his watch.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1155950

President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday said he is “glad” that the peace talks between his administration and the Communist Party of the Philippines - National Democratic Front (CPP-NDF) were terminated.

Duterte made the remarks during the inauguration of the Bicol International Airport in Daraga, Albay, as he once again slammed the arrogance of the communist movement’s armed wing, the New People’s Army (NPA).

“Hindi ako bilib sa tapang-tapangan nila (I’m not amused by their arrogance),” Duterte said. “Ewan ko kung ano ang nakuha nila (I don’t know what they get [or]) what gain they earned by killing people.”

Duterte said he could not give the communist guerillas another chance to resume the peace negotiations with the government, because they continue their killing spree.

He said the NPA insurgents’ continued attacks against government troops and civilians enraged him.

“Galit ako sa kanila (I am mad at them). To continue the killing and continue the ferocity of the hate, ewan ko kung ano ang gusto nitong mga ito (I don’t know what they want). But I’m not happy with them. I’m glad that we suspended the talk,” Duterte said.

Duterte said the communist group’s political wing, the National Democratic Front (NDF), has to wait for his successor to renegotiate the stalled peace talks with the government.

“Maybe the next president can do it but hindi ko kaya (I could not do it),” he said.

Keep in mind that this is a man, who as Mayor of Davao, was deeply in bed with the communists. He told farmers to pay the NPA extortion tax, delivered a sack of money to the NPA after hurricane Pablo in 2012, and thanked the NPA for electing him President. Surely he knows what they want. He is friends with them after all. Perhaps the next President will have a better chance with peace talks. But likely not.