Insurgency: NPA Down to 2,000 Fighters

The AFP says Davao is almost insurgent free. The problem is the one pesky NPA unit remaining. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1178360

Only one New People’s Army (NPA) rebel unit remains before Davao Region can be declared “insurgency-free”, the Philippine Army's 10th Infantry Division (ID) said Wednesday.

“Even when President Rodrigo Duterte ended his term, the 10ID continues its efforts to push for the declaration of our areas of responsibility as free from insurgency. In Davao Region, there is just one left, the weakened NPA Guerrilla Front (GF) 18 that operates in Davao Oriental province,” Capt. Mark Anthony Tito, the 10ID spokesperson, said.

Tito said the military has cleared the barangays that were formerly influenced by the NPA GF-18, enabling it to be declared a “weakened unit.”

He also noted that Davao Oriental was the first to establish best practices that served as a benchmark for the military in its NPA clearing operations.

Other provinces and cities in the Davao Region have been declared only this year as insurgency-free.

Davao City was first to be declared insurgency free on March 24; Davao del Norte and Davao Occidental on June 13;  Davao de Oro, June 22; and Davao del Sur, July 1.

Meanwhile, Art Milan, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry area vice president for Mindanao, said businesses have started to flourish in the communities that were declared by the military as insurgency-free.

“To cite an example, in the highlands of Davao del Norte in Talaingod town, the resorts and restaurants have been sprouting just after it was announced that the area is cleared of NPAs. When the people feel safe, commerce will follow,” Milan said in a separate interview.

Encouraged by the positive impact on businesses, he said they will propose the continuation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict under the new administration.

It is not only Davao where the insurgency has been reduced. The AFP says gains made under the Duterte administration were significant. 

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.

“We have achieved significant gains in the conduct of military operations against the threat, I’m referring to the armed threat and [the dismantled guerrilla fronts are] almost 74 percent. There used to be 89 guerrilla fronts when President Duterte assumed office in 2016 but as of June 30 this year they were reduced to 23,” Aguilar said.

“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.

Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Senator Ronald Dela Rosa earlier explained in a Senate session that every NPA guerrilla front should have at least three platoons with around 100 armed combatants.

Aguilar noted that the military is just short of dismantling one more NPA guerrilla front to achieve “strategic victory” against the communist insurgents, saying the military is targeting to break down 75 percent of their guerrilla fronts.

“I think we have gained much as far as defeating the armed component is concerned and that’s why you can now seldom hear about attacks or harassment,” Aguilar said.

Those are incredible numbers as in they are not credible at all. Note that Aguilar claims there are now roughly 2,000 armed fighters. Back in April it was reported there were 5,000. At the beginning of 2016 there were an estimated 4,000 fighters and in 2021 the AFP claimed 5,526 NPA fighters had surrendered since the beginning of Duterte's term. Those numbers don't add up at all. I have written about this at length. You can read that here.

The NPA may be in its twilight but they are not going down without a fight. This week 7 soldiers were injured by landmines.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1178212

At least seven soldiers were injured when members of the New People’s Army (NPA) detonated anti-personnel mines in the upland village of Magsaysay in Mapanas, Northern Samar on Tuesday morning.

Soldiers with the community support program (CSP) team were patrolling the area when rebels detonated the mines around 6:15 a.m., said Lt. Col. Joemar Buban, commander of the Philippine Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion.

CSP is a flagship program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines used to clear communities of NPA infestation while neutralizing the politics-military structure the rebels established in the villages.

“Of the seven wounded, two of them are in critical condition. All the blast victims suffered head injuries. Casualty evacuation is still ongoing since the mountain village is far from the highway,” Buban said in a phone interview.

After the explosion, the eight soldiers who escaped the blast engaged 20 NPA fighters in a 10-minute gun battle.

The enemies fled since their firepower is weak, according to the army official.

Magsaysay village is about 13 kilometers away from the highway and the farthest community in Mapanas town. It is considered a stronghold of the communist terrorist group after soldiers managed to rid several communities in Northern Samar province of NPA threats.

About 30 NPA fighters were sighted in the hinterlands of Magsaysay, identified as the remaining active platoon in the province.

It's a wonder how for the past 52 years these encounters always end the same with the NPA running off to their hideout leaving the AFP in the lurch. Why don't they call in an airstrike or pursue them in some other manner? The AFP says they will be deploying more troops to Samar. 

4 NPA fighters were killed in attack this past week.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1178391

Four Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) rebels died in a clash with government forces in the remote Barangay Santol in Binalbagan, Negros Occidental on Wednesday morning.

Army and police troops engaged at least 14 rebels after identifying their location in Sitio Amilis at past 9 a.m., a report from the Philippine Army said.

Lt. Col. Van Donald Almonte, commander of the 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB), said they were able to launch a successful operation based on the “timely and accurate information” provided by former rebels and other residents of Barangay Santol.

“This is a manifestation that the villagers no longer support the communist ideology,” he added.

As of posting time, the fatalities have not yet been identified, but they belonged to the NPA’s Central Negros 2, Komiteng Rehiyong-Negros Cebu Bohol Siquijor.

Troops recovered the bodies of the four rebels along with several firearms, various supplies, and personal items at the encounter site.

According to the 94IB, the NPA rebels were involved in the ambush of personnel of the Binalbagan Municipal Police Station in Barangay Bi-ao last February.

Along with the recovery of these items the AFP has unearthed several NPA caches recently.

In Tarlac.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/07/03/npa-arms-cache-unearthed-in-tarlac/

An arms cache owned by the New People’s Army (NPA) was unearthed Friday, July 1, in Barangay Sta. Juliana here.

Recovered were M16A1 rifle, one M14 rifle, one M2 carbine, KG9 submachine gun (SMG), Beretta 9mm, three caliber .38, magnum caliber .22, caliber .22, various ammunition, 16 assorted magazines, one commercial radio, and medical and personal effects.

In Ilocos Sur.

https://www.kalinawnews.com/former-rebel-tip-off-leads-to-discovery-of-ctg-arms-cache-in-ilocos-sur/

Troops of the 71st Infantry Battalion under the Joint Task Group Defender discovered a terrorists’ arms cache in the vicinity of Sitio Ramut, Zone 7, Brgy Salincub, Santiago, Ilocos Sur on July 3, 2022.

In a statement, Lt. Gen. Ernesto Torres Jr., Commander of the Northern Luzon Command revealed that “the 71IB recovered one (1) M16 rifle, eight (8) magazines (5-long and 3-short), 140 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition and one (1) bandolier from the said location.”

Lt Gen Torres furthered that “a former leader of the terror group Weakened Guerilla Front AMPIS which operates in the areas of Abra, Mountain Province, and Ilocos Sur tipped the troops of the whereabouts of the said arms cache.”

In Misamis Oriental.

https://www.kalinawnews.com/58ib-prevents-ctg-hostile-plans-high-powered-firearm-and-war-materials-captured-by-troops-in-mis-oriental/

A high-powered firearm was recovered during a clash between the Communist Terrorist Groups (CTGs) and government troops under the 58th Infantry “Dimalulupig” Battalion this afternoon, July 06, 2022.

The said encounter happened at around 3:30 in the afternoon, in the hinterlands of Barangay San Juan in Balingasag, while the troops responded to the information from a concerned citizen following the presence of the armed group in their farm land. The firefight lasted for about ten (10) minutes, and the troops recovered. One AK-47 assault rifle, four (4) magazines AK47 with ammo, three (3) magazines M16 with ammo, five (5) bag packs with personal belongings, one rifle grenade, assorted medical paraphernalia, and subversive documents.

In Negros Occidental.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1178442

A gunbattle between government troops and rebels has led to the capture of a ranking Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) leader in the hinterlands of Calatrava town, Negros Occidental on Wednesday afternoon.

Arrested was Isabelle Necesario, 41, who goes by aliases “Maoline”, “Nad”, “Diane” and “Idel”, the deputy secretary of the NPA’s Northern Negros Front (NNF).

Lt. Col. J-jay Javines, commanding officer of the 79th Infantry Battalion (IB), said on Thursday the clash indicates the efforts of the remnants of the NNF to regain support and recruit more members.

“Thus, we will continue to advance our efforts in making the CPP-NPA vanish in northern Negros,” Javines said.

Necesario, a resident of Sitio Canipaan, Barangay Banquerohan in Cadiz City, is now in the custody of the Calatrava Municipal Police Station.

The NNF has already been declared dismantled by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in April last year, and those who had figured in clashes with government troops are considered remnants of the dismantled front.

After the clash on Wednesday, troops recovered two rifle grenades, two .38-caliber pistols with seven rounds of live ammunition, and one .45- caliber pistol with five rounds of live ammunition.

They also found five USB flash drives, seven basic and one touchscreen mobile phones, three pocket wi-fi units, three civilian bags containing personal belongings, a hammock, assorted medicines, food items, subversive documents, and PHP3,740 cash, among others.

Javines said villagers provided information to the troops regarding the presence of the NPA rebels, prompting his men to immediately respond and engage them.

The NPA remains active and very much a threat. For AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar to talk about  targeting a "strategic victory" of dismantling 75% of the NPA's guerrilla fronts is ludicrous. It's got to be all or nothing. 100% should be the goal.