Insurgency: Huge Blow to the NPA in Negros

In these waning days of the world's longest running insurgency, 53 years and counting, the news from the front is always the same. The AFP attacks a few NPA fighters, claims they are weakening, and lauds the surrender of other NPA fighters and supporters claiming that this shows the insurgency is a lost cause. But then they warn about the strength of the NPA recruitment effort. It's no different this week.

Throughout the Visayas the NPA continues to suffer deafest at the hands of the AFP.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1189690

The death of the top leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Eastern Visayas during a clash in Las Navas, Northern Samar will cause a leadership vacuum among armed rebels in the region, an official of the Philippine Army said on Tuesday.

Philippine Army 20th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Joemar Buban said the communist group in the region is now demoralized by the death of Helenita Pardales alias Ka Elai, the top leader of the NPA Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee.

Pardales is one of the six slain rebels when government forces launched an attack in remote Imelda village in Las Navas town on Nov. 23, destroying a major lair of NPA with 30 huts and a big cottage for meetings.

“This is a big blow to their organization since there is a leadership vacuum. The remaining guerrilla fronts operating in Northern Samar will have no guidance. We all know that they don’t have a succession of command,” Buban told the Philippine News Agency (PNA) in a phone interview.

The recovery of 18 high-powered firearms will likewise weaken the NPA organization in the region and Northern Samar province.

“Abandoning their firearms means they are demoralized and not capable of fighting the government,” Buban added."

"A big blow to their organization" and "leadership vacuum" are buzz phrases we have heard before every time the AFP kills a leader. Of course that vacuum is always refilled and the fight continues has it has for 5 decades. Of course NPA fighters abandoning firearms and running off to regroup elsewhere means they are demoralized. Right? Those men will either surrender or die in some future firefight. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/477583/npa-rebels-in-visayas-continue-to-weaken-says-army-official

NPA rebels in the Visayas continue to weaken in the face of unrelenting operations by government troops in the region.

Major General Benedict Arevalo, the acting commander of the Visayas Command (VisCom), confirmed this and appealed to the remaining rebels to surrender. 

“The CPP – NPA terrorists in the Visayas continue to weaken with these series of setbacks. We will sustain our campaign until such time that this menace is totally eradicated. Thus, we appeal to the few remaining members of the CPP – NPA terrorists. Lay down your arms and return to the folds of the law before the long arms of justice will catch up with you,” Arevalo stated. 

Arevalo stated this after the encounter in Barangay Quintin Remo, Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental on Monday, November 28. 

Accordingly, members of the 62nd Infantry Battalion encountered alleged members of the Komiteng Rehiyon, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Siquijor.

The 40-minute firefight resulted in the death of two alleged terrorists and the recovery of six firearms and alleged subversive documents.

In the Western Visayas the AFP has been lauded for crushing the NPA in Iloilo. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1189553

National Security Adviser (NSA) Clarita Carlos lauded the Philippine Army troops for their triumph against the communist New People's Army (NPA) in a clash in Igbaras, Iloilo on Saturday.

The Philippine Army said an NPA member was killed and three high-powered firearms were recovered while no casualty was reported on their side.

Carlos, who is also vice chairperson of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), said their victory was a “milestone” in ongoing efforts to dismantle guerrilla fronts in the country.

"I am very grateful to the soldiers of the 61st Infantry Battalion for this victory. This is a significant milestone in our mission of totally eliminating the communist influence in Visayas," Carlos said in a press statement on Sunday.

"Our government policy and the President's guidance in our fight against insurgency are clear,” she added.

She also urged NPA members to surrender to avoid bloodshed.

“Our call for peace continues for the remaining members who want to return to the government fold,” she said.

Note that National Securoty Adviser Clarita Carlos does not thank the AFP for "crushing" the NPA in Iloilo. That word is used only in the headline and the PNA is 100% government propaganda.  In reality she is only congratulating them on a single victory.

The progress being made by the AFP in the Visayas is part of the promise made by the new Viscom Chief to weaken the insurgency in the Visayas. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1694199/new-afp-viscom-chief-vows-to-weaken-insurgency-in-visayas

The new commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Visayas Command (Viscom) on Monday revealed he wants to focus on fighting insurgency in Eastern Visayas and weaken the “enemies” in the region.

“We want to look at the situation in the 8th Infantry Division. We’ll see if we can help out,” said Major General Benedict Arevalo, the newly installed Viscom commander.

Aside from fighting the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA), Arevalo said the Viscom will also intensify its readiness to become the first responders in disaster and calamities in Eastern, Western, and Central Visayas.

He said that the location of the Visayas is prone to disasters and Viscom needs to be ready for eventualities.

Arevalo, who was previously in charge in the fight against CPP/NPA in Western and Central Visayas, said the “enemy’s” forces are already weakened and the AFP is on the upper hand.

At least he did not say something so brazen has he will defeat the NPA before his term is up. And look! The AFP was already weakened when he arrived on the scene. It's a win-win situation for Major General Benedict Arevalo.

Let's finish up by taking a look at the death of one more rebel leader which is being touted as a "huge blow" to the NPA in Negros.  

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1189868

The death of New People's Army (NPA) leader Ericson Acosta in a clash with government troops in Kabankalan City on Wednesday is another "huge blow" to the communist-terrorists in Negros Island, an official of the Philippine Army said on Thursday.

"It will create a leadership vacuum," said Lt. Col. Van Donald Almonte, commander of 94th Infantry Battalion (94IB), whose unit conducted the operation together with the 47IB.

Acosta, 50, is the NPA's first deputy secretary for Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor (KR-NCBS) and head of the Political Unified Committee in the Visayas, according to the 94IB.

He is the husband of the late Kerima Tariman, then a top NPA leader in northern Negros, killed in an encounter with troops of 79th IB in Silay City in August 2021.

Acosta's companion, who also died in the encounter, has been identified as Joseph Jimenez, 52, staff of KR-NCBS Regional Organizing Division.

Also known as "Raffy" and "Fredo", Acosta led the attacks against the government troops in Himamaylan City on Oct. 8 and in Sipalay City on Nov. 24, where four soldiers died, the 94IB report said.

Along with Jimenez, he was also involved in extortion activities in Kabankalan City and had been targeting a sugar refinery in the area to give in to their demands, it added.

In a statement on Thursday, the 3rd Infantry Division dismissed the claim of the National Democratic Front (NDF)-Negros, the political wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA, that Acosta was their consultant for farmers in southern Negros.

"It's a propaganda ploy to fuel their deceptive narrative. It's nothing but a hollow, empty, and over abused propaganda line of the CPP-NPA-NDF," it added.

The Philippine Army also maintained that the clash in Negros Occidental that resulted in the death of Acosta and Jimenez was a legitimate encounter.

"Based from the reports received from our ground forces, it was a legitimate encounter and pursuit operations that led to the death of the two CNTs (Communists New People's Army Terrorists)," Army spokesperson Col. Xerxes Trinidad said in a statement Thursday.

He also added that government troops will always abide by the rules of law and respect human rights and international humanitarian law during incidents of armed conflict.

That is the AFP's story. Ericson Acosta was an NPA leader who led attacks on government troops and engaged in extortion activities. He was killed in a legitimate encounter and any talk that he was a consultant for farmers is propaganda.

Of course that version of events is disputed by the NUPL and Karapatan. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1700345/karapatan-to-chr-probe-deaths-of-ndf-consultant-peasant-organizer

A human rights advocacy group on Thursday called on the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to investigate the deaths of National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) consultant Ericson Acosta and peasant organizer Joseph Jimenez in Negros Occidental.

“Human rights alliance Karapatan today called on the Commission on Human Rights to conduct an independent investigation into the reported summary execution of peasant advocate Ericson Acosta, a writer and consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines, and his companion, peasant organizer Joseph Jimenez of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas,” said Karapatan.

According to Karapatan, Acosta and Jimenez were captured in Negros Occidental by personnel of the 94th and 47th Infantry Battalions of the Philippine Army on Wednesday but were reported as killed in an encounter.

Karapatan said that Acosta was in Kabankalan City to consult with farmers and peasants about their working conditions and military operations in the area.

The NUPL claims the same thing. Acosta and Jimenez were in custody when they were killed.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/12/01/nupl-condemns-summary-executionof-ndf-consultant-in-negros-occidental/

In a statement, NUPL said “the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) publicly claimed that the two (NDF consultant Ericson Acosta and his companion who was not identified) were killed during an armed encounter” with Philippine Army soldiers in Sitio Makilo, Barangay Camansi in Kabankalan town.

“However, sources dispute this claim and no such encounter occurred, and that the two were captured alive and were already in custody when summarily executed by their captors,” the NUPL claimed.

It said that Acosta had been “NUPL’s client when he was wrongfully arrested and detained based on trumped up charges sometime in February 2011 at San Jorge, Samar at Calbayog City Sub-Provincial Jail.”

“He stayed in detention for almost two years, and was eventually released upon the dismissal of the cases against him,” it said.

“After his release, we learned that Ericson continued to be involved in advocacies for the advancement of peasant rights,” it added.

NUPL said Acosta was “a poet, writer, and peasant and peace advocate.”

Who these sources are the NUPL does not say. What we can know for sure is that Acosta was on the AFP's watch list. He certainly had a target on his back. But why would the AFP execute him when they are pleading with all remaining NPA members to surrender? The killing of one deceived Filipino makes the AFP sad. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1189641

The commander of the 3rd Infantry Division of the Philippine Army was saddened over the death of a member of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) who, he said, was deceived to take part in the useless armed struggle.

“As much as possible, we want to make them realize that joining armed struggle is not the answer to attain peace, and we don’t want another victim and lives to be wasted. We are so much concerned for their families suffering their loss,” said Maj. Gen. Benedict M. Arevalo in a press statement on Monday.

Arevalo also reiterated his call for the remaining NPA rebels to lay down their arms, avoid the same fate as their comrade and avail of the government’s programs intended for them.

It would not make any sense for the Army to capture Acosta and then execute him. Murdering him would serve no purpose. But there likely won't be any investigation into his death.