Insurgency: NPA on Definite Stage of Collapse

This is it. This is what we have all been waiting for. It is definite. The NPA is about to collapse.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1183632

With the series of surrenders among its ranks, the communist New People’s Army (NPA) in Northern Mindanao and Caraga Region is in a “definitive stage” of collapse, the Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) reported on Wednesday.

In a statement, Lt. Gen. Greg Almerol, the Eastmincom commander, noted that Eastmincom units neutralized 10 high-ranking NPA leaders in Bukidnon and Surigao del Norte on Sept. 8 and 10.

“The recent neutralization of NPA leaders in Bukidnon and Surigao del Norte is the result of our relentless collaboration with intelligence units and engagements with their families who long to see them alive and at peace with the government,” Almerol said.

On Sept. 8, nine NPA personalities of the Sub-Regional Committee 5, North Central Mindanao Regional Committee (SRC5, yielded to troopers of the Army’s 403rd Brigade’s 1st Special Forces Battalion in Valencia City, Bukidnon.

Two days after, the joint law enforcement operation of the Army’s 401st Brigade, Philippine National Police, and Philippine Coast Guard resulted in the arrest of Nenita Dolera, secretary of the NPA Guerilla Front 19, at the port of Surigao City.

Dolera, who has a warrant of arrest for murder, was monitored by authorities to be returning to Surigao City via a fast craft vessel from Leyte before her arrest.

"Once again, we call other NPA remnants to surrender and live peacefully with their families," Almerol said.

He also urged the remaining NPA members to avail of government livelihood packages through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program.

"The government program is here to assist you on your second chance in life,” Almerol added.

It all boils down to surrenders. Not neutralizations or the hard work of the AFP but the government bribery program. There are some who would disagree with that assessment but so be it. Maybe these people will turn a new leaf.

We keep hearing that the NPA is weak and only making a fake show of force. That appears to not be the case in Samar.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1183543

The local government unit of Matuguinao, Samar has expressed concern over recent attempts of the New People’s Army (NPA) to recover five previously-influenced villages cleared through the efforts of the Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (TF-ELCAC).

Matuguinao town Mayor Aran Boller said in a phone interview Tuesday there are recent sightings and recruitment attempts in some remote communities of their town.

The mayor said residents have been reporting to the municipal government about the presence of armed men in the far-flung villages of San Roque, Inubod, Carolina, Ligaya, and Del Rosario.

Village chiefs of these five communities which were earlier cleared from NPA threats opted to stay in the house of their relatives in the town center for fear of rebel attacks.

These five village chiefs are among the 118 former NPA members and staunch supporters who heeded the mayor’s call to surrender and pledged their allegiance to the government on Feb. 19, 2021.

These remote villages are included in the list for implementation of the Barangay Development Program (BDP) this year. In December 2021, the Senate reduced the BDP budget to only PHP4 million from PHP20 million for each village.

“With the BDP budget cut, we can only build some classrooms and set up a water system. Our proposal is to build access roads to speed up the delivery of services that will eventually end insurgency,” Boller added.

Isn't that messed up? They say the NPA is weak and the AFP declared these villages insurgent free only to have the insurgents come back around like a stray dog looking for scraps. Not only that but the Barangay Development Program budget has been cut which means all they can build is "some classrooms and set up a water system." They say they need to build roads "to speed up the delivery of services that will eventually end insurgency" when apparently it had ended in 2021. It's like a bad joke but it's real life. 

How many NPA insurgents are left? As of this moment roughly 2,000.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/844943/insurgents-present-manpower-no-more-than-2-000-says-military/story/

The current number of insurgents in the country is only about 2,000, a military official told lawmakers on Thursday, even as he admitted that "social ills" continue to inspire individuals to join armed anti-government struggle.

"Based on our assessment, the manpower is no more than 2,000 insurgents and approximately the same number of firearms," said Vice Admiral Rommel Anthony Reyes, deputy chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, during a budget presentation at the House of Representatives.

Responding to Zamboanga Sibugay Representative Wilter Palma's inquiry on why the insurgency problem persists, Reyes said the military's strategy of fighting insurgents with weapons has not been enough, given that individuals are enticed to join anti-government forces due widespread social ills.

"The root cause [of insurgency] is that there are groups taking advantage of the presence of social ills, social injustices such as poverty and ignorance. For so long a time, the military is just addressing the military aspect of insurgency," Reyes said.

2,000 is the same estimate given back in July. With all the surrenders and killings the number should be lower but people are still joining the insurgency because of "widespread social ills."

The PNP have deployed specially trained officers to prevent the resurgence of the NPA.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1183778

Some 291 police personnel who completed special training for the revitalized “Pulis sa Barangay” program will help avert efforts of the communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels to re-infiltrate communities in the Caraga Region.

Maj. Jennifer Ometer, Police Regional Office-Caraga (PRO-13) information office head, said the graduates will be deployed in different barangays in the region prone to NPA recruitment.

“These police personnel has undergone a 45-day specialized training that culminated Wednesday,” Ometer said in an interview Thursday.

Brig. Gen. Romeo Caramat Jr., the PRO-13 director, said the “Pulis sa Barangay” program aims to sustain the gains of the Armed Forces of the Philippines in its community support program and focused military operations.

“Police personnel under the program will also help ensure the safe implementation of Barangay Development Programs (BDPs) in the different villages in the region,” Caramat said.

He said the program seeks to complement the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict, especially in the implementation of the BDPs.

“The revitalized Pulis sa Barangay is a well-organized tool that will address insurgency mainly in the grassroots, and is worthy to be duplicated by other places,” Caramat said.

These cops are being sent to Caraga which the AFP hopes to be insurgency-free by the end of the year. But if people are still being recruited into he NPA because of social ills that might not happen.

President Marcos said he vows peace and historical justice in Bangsamoro.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1665177/marcos-vows-peace-historical-justice-for-bangsamoro

President Marcos paid tribute to the sacrifices of Moro revolutionaries that fueled their dream of self-governance during his late father’s regime, while calling on new and old Bangsamoro leaders to unite to bring lasting peace to Mindanao.

“We set our feet before this place and herald the trials that you have won through courage, certainty and noble bravery,” Marcos told the inaugural session of the 80-member Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) at the Shariff Kabunsuan Cultural Complex here on Thursday.

“The path to lasting peace is always under construction. But we walk this path not because it is an easy one,” the President said.

“We walk this path together because even if it is difficult, we know that at the end of the journey is historical justice, progress, peace, stability and the unity that our peoples and our nation … so rightly deserve,” he said.

It's rather weird that Marcos his haling them as noble and brave when just a few days ago he justified his Father's declaration of martial law because of the NPA and the Islamic insurgencies. 

President Marcos is not bothered being called the “son of the dictator” even as he defended his late father and namesake’s imposition of martial law in 1972, saying it was necessary to prevent rising disorder caused by communist and separatist rebellions at the time.

He emphasized that his father declared martial law as his government was simultaneously fighting communist and separatist rebellions and not to stay in power.

“Martial law was declared because of the wars, the two wars we were fighting on two fronts. The CPP-NPA was fomenting revolution. They wanted to bring down the government through violent means. The government had to defend itself,” the President said.

“The second front was the secessionist movement down in the South led by MNLF and chairman Nur Misuari at the time. He started that uprising, the secessionist movement,” he said.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2022/09/15/2209778/president-marcos-my-father-was-not-dictator

Now these separatists are noble and brave revolutionaries? How does that work? Calling them such only undermines Marcos Sr's declaration of martial law. Perhaps he should have just given in like the recent administrations have done and given the Muslims their own autonomous region. 

Victims of the Marawi Siege hope to get a huge payout just like the victims of martial law. 

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/842035/marawi-victims-shouldn-t-get-less-than-martial-law-claimants-compensation-exec-says/story/

The compensation to be given to the victims of the Marawi City siege should not be less than what was provided to the victims of the Martial Law regime, an official said Thursday.

"The government provided compensation to the victims of the atrocities of the Marcos regime on a point system basis. If you are detained, that is more or less worth P175,000. If the victim died, that is 10 points, roughly P1.7 million for the heirs. This is the precedent," Human Rights Violations Victims' Memorial Commission Executive Director Carmelo Crisanto told GMA News Online in a virtual interview.

"We [in the Memorial Commission] will be part of the implementation of the Marawi compensation law, and such compensation should not be lower than P175,000," he added.

The Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Act of 2022, signed by then-President Rodrigo Duterte in April, aims to compensate those who suffered loss and destruction of property during the Maute terror group's months-long siege on the Islamic City of Marawi in 2017.

"The Marawi compensation bill compensates the victims because the victims were victimized by state forces [during gun battles against the Maute terrorists]; the victims were collateral damage. It is not the victims' fault that they were affected. We proposed the same [payment scheme used for the Martial Law regime victims] kasi iyong damages, binomba iyong lugar, namatayan ang mga tao [the places were bombed, people died]. It should be P1.7 million," Crisanto added.

Crisanto noted that the state's recognition of its liability in hurting its citizens by providing financial remuneration should not discriminate.

"[Yes, P1 million for each death is a big deal, but are other Filipinos' lives worth more than those of Filipino Muslims?] The state should have parity when it enters into a compensation for the acts that the state did to its people," he added.

It is really interesting that the government is accepting liability here when practically the whole of Marawi knew something was up but deigned to say anything for fear and because they thought, being Muslims, they would not be targeted. 

"When martial law ... Marawi because many people were shocked, people from Marawi, even the Moro people. They never thought that they themselves wold become victims of violent extremists. They knew that many are members of their own clan.  They know them. They knew that they were moving firearms for a long time, they had been stockpiling up firearms. But when I asked the evacuees "Bakit di nyo sinabi yan?" (Why didn't you tell us?) "Sir, akala namin, kapwa Muslim hindi kami bibiktimahin" (We thought they would spare us because we are also Muslims).” 

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2018/05/intelligence-failures-and-prior.html 

The citizens of Marawi are not innocent bystanders. It's too bad that a Senate inquiry has not been held so that this information could be ferreted out. 

Let's end with some good news from the insurgency.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1183930

After a two-year pandemic pause, the Negros Trade Fair (NTF) returns for its 36th edition and will feature new countryside-based artisans – the “tikog” (reed grass) weavers of the now insurgent-free Sitio (hamlet) Madaja in Barangay Buenavista, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental.

Before it became a conflict-free area, Sitio Madaja was vulnerable to the influence of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA).

“They rejected the NPA and supported the government. We want them to become a benchmark, a model sitio that will be developed through the engagement,” Capt. Eduardo Rarugal Jr., Philippine Army's 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB) civil-military operations officer, said in an interview on Saturday.

Through the engagement of the Association of Negros Producers (ANP), the NTF organizer, with the Provincial Peace and Order Council, residents were empowered in crafting more quality products, which they can sell at better prices.

Weaving traditional patterns unique to Madaja, they make sleeping mats, table runners, coin purses, hats, and fans on display at the ANP Hub here, and will soon be showcased at the Negros Trade Fair in the Glorietta Activity Center in Makati City from Sept. 20 to 25.

Sybel Nobleza, ANP external affairs manager, said from only PHP15,000 last month, orders for the Madaja “tikog” woven products have increased by 100 percent to more than PHP30,000.

“Their products will be highlighted during the Negros Trade Fair. I am more than happy for the skills and creativity shown by the ‘tikog’ weavers,” she added.

Since the engagement started two months ago, the weavers have earned about PHP45,000 in gross sales at the ANP Hub alone.

Located in a mountainous area some 15 kilometers from the city proper, and where among the locals are indigenous people (IP), Sitio Madaja was an ideal site for the mass organization activities of the communist-terrorist group.

Since residents of Sitio Madaja just rely on farming and charcoal-making as their main source of livelihood, “tikod” weaving provides them an additional source of income.

This is great. A village rejected the NPA and now they are making good money from their weaving. That's the kind of victory the nation needs.