Insurgency: Don't Play Victim

The recent attacks by the NPA near schools in Masbate have caused an outcry amongst public officials. DepEd Secretary Duterte and the Alliance of Concerned Teachers have engaged in a word war over these attacks. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1198459

Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte on Wednesday urged the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) to stop using the "victim card" and condemn the terrorist attacks of the New People's Army (NPA) in Masbate, which have affected learners.

Duterte made the remark after the group accused her of red-tagging following her comments on the group's "unrealistic and impossible" requests.

"Part of its deceptive tactic when stripped down of its intentions – with its real political agenda exposed to the public – is to conveniently hide under the blanket of red-tagging," she said. "ACT Teachers should stop dropping the victim card around the table whenever they are exposed as sympathizers and supporters of the NPA, the Communist Party of the Philippines, and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines."

Duterte added that it is with great urgency to expose the group's intention, having been a "fake representative of learners and teachers."

"The real victims here are the learners, and the Department of Education is pouring in all our efforts to solve the problem," she said.

The ACT earlier called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to hire 30,000 teachers and allot PHP100 billion in funds for the building of classrooms annually.

The education chief, however, criticized the timing of the request, saying it was a diversion from the supposed issue of the alarming terrorist attacks in Masbate.

"If ACT Teachers stands for the education sector, it would not have ignored the NPA terrorism in Masbate that resulted in the suspension of classes in six towns of the province, affecting more than 55,000 learners and 2,815 personnel, which they claim to represent," Duterte said. "We should only take ACT Teachers seriously if it publicly condemns NPA atrocities in Masbate and all other NPA terroristic activities that hampered the learning of children across the country."

This is not the first time the ACT has been labelled a terrorist front. Strangely enough even though the NTF-ELCAC also claims they are a front neither they nor the DepEd are barring teachers from joining the group.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1198904

The Department of Education (DepEd) and National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Tuesday warned public school teachers and the youth to remain vigilant in joining groups that are considered legal fronts of communist groups. 

The agencies made the warning following tirades of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) against DepEd amid terrorist attacks in Masbate, Camarines Sur and Rizal. 

In a press conference, DepEd spokesperson Michael Poa said that although it is not illegal to join organizations, it is important to identify the organizations' nature. 

"No, we will not abridge the freedom of our teachers to join these organizations or for these organizations to conduct their activity whatever they want. But even if we allow them in their activities because we cannot stop them, we will not condone teachers who commit or engage in criminal activities," he said. 

Officials discussed their stance on organizations like the ACT, which is said to be "linked to underground mass organizations." 

"That's why I call on the teachers, including those who are members of the ACT, to be more vigilant. They should be discriminating. And try to understand, evaluate them and check their profile for themselves, as to where their leaders are directing them. Listen to what they are saying," NTF-ELCAC executive director Ernesto Torres Jr. said. 

Torres said that although the majority of ACT members are not part of the underground propaganda, the profile and intent of its core leaders must be tested. 

"Majority of them are not really aware that they are supporting the underground mass organization which is KaGuMa. KaGuMa is Katipunan ng mga Gurong Makabayan... Their core leaders in ACT, we can confidently say that they are part of KaGuMa, that they are party members of the CPP-NPA-NDF. So what we should be dealing with are those agitators within the ACT," he said.

The NTF-ELCAC described agitators as individuals or leaders who operate with the intent to agitate others, leading them to doing something criminal or socially unacceptable. 

If the ACT is a front for the CPP-NPA-NDF why would the DepEd allow teachers to join the organization? If the ACT is a terrorist group then all considerations of freedom of association is out. Would they allow teachers to join ISIS or ASG or the BIFF or the NPA? Of course not and if the ACT is a front for the NPA then they are indeed a terrorist organization. These contradictory statements make no sense. On the one hand they condemn the ACT and on the other they allow teachers to join.

As for what is recalling happening in Masbate, the public may never know since everything we can read about it is propaganda in one way or the other. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1749961/masbate-clashes-when-propaganda-war-eclipses-battle-outcomes

News reports indicate at least 55,199 students, 2,815 teachers, and 140 schools were constrained to shift their classes from in-person to modular distance learning to ensure their safety from the crossfire and cross-explosions.

The NPA has admitted to launching coordinated harassment operations in Placer and Dimasalang in commemoration of the NPA’s 54th anniversary on March 29, as well as undertaking a successful active defense maneuver in Cawayan.

The latter incident resulted in the NPA killing of Cpl. Antonio Parreno Jr. of the Army’s 2nd Infantry Battalion, among several Army and PNP casualties claimed by the NPA-Masbate Jose Rapsing Command.

The Army has accused the NPA of detonating improvised explosive devices near populated areas such as schools. The NPA says its tactical offensives were of some distance to the schools. It has instead accused the soldiers of retreating to those school grounds (thereby using the schoolchildren as human shields) and indiscriminately firing their weapons including a rifle grenade on those grounds.

The propaganda war by both sides continues to intensify parallel to their armed hostilities. They cannot be relied on for the truth because this is the proverbial first casualty in war, where propaganda has become even more important than the actual military score. Ordinarily, this would be an occasion for some sectors to call for resumption of peace negotiations (but conspicuously not also calling for an accompanying ceasefire) between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP), which represents the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its military arm the NPA.

But we have to get real. At this point, both sides simply do not want peace talks, much less a ceasefire. The new Masbate incidents are the best evidence of this. Both sides believe (or say) that they are winning their war. The problem is that this could go on for another 54 years. But at what cost to the country and to the people purportedly being served? What then is to be done in a situation of continuing local communist armed conflict?

Indeed every statement from the AFP, DepEd, and NTF-ELCAC must be taken with a huge grain of salt especially since they contradict themselves. If the ACT is a terrorist front then all teachers must be barred from joining. In fact the NTF-ELCAC says the NPA has a history of victimizing students. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1198764

The National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) on Monday scored the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) for its "pattern" of victimizing students by mounting “ruthless and indiscriminate” attacks near public schools while demanding the resumption of peace talks with the government.

In a statement, the NTF-ELCAC pointed out the attacks are in flagrant and utter disregard for the welfare and safety of thousands of pupils, teachers and their communities, noting schools are peace zones.

"The communist terrorist’s violent design is clear -- launch attacks near schools and other vulnerable public places to sow fear and confusion in a desperate but, ultimately, futile bid to project an image of strength, to coerce and blackmail the government to submit to a ceasefire, and fall into the trap of another round of national peace talks with the CPP-NPA and their allies in the National Democratic Front (NDF),” it said.

"It is for this reason that the NTF-ELCAC joins Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte and our partners in the education sector in calling out and condemning the communist terrorist perpetrators, their insidious enablers and callous conspirators who should be held to account for these transgressions,” it added.

The NTF-ELCAC noted that such tactics "are among the oldest and dirtiest tricks in this enemy’s playbook, used to great effect for decades now."

The task force also debunked the need for peace talks at the national level since local peace talks “have been fruitful and, in a short period, have borne more positive results than decades worth of ‘peace talks’ with self-styled leaders of the CPP-NPA-NDF.”

On the other hand, the NTF-ELCAC supported the Vice President's stand in rejecting calls by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers for peace talks.

It likewise commiserated with the victims of the CPP-NPA’s latest assaults on peace -- children who were subjected to the trauma of explosions and gunfire, teachers and pupils alike fearing for their lives and safety as soldiers and innocent civilians were treacherously attacked.

“To those who were harmed, maimed or killed, we grieve and offer our sincerest sympathies. To the cowards who perpetrate these attacks, we swear the righteous justice of our laws and that of God. On the face of these assaults against our nation’s peace by the cowards of the CPP-NPA, we shall continue to bring genuine progress and meaningful development to the people and communities victimized by this 54-year insanity of the CPP-NPA-NDF," it said.

This victimization no doubt extends to recruitment of the youth. Back in February the AFP said COVID slowed recruitment down but now it could pick up again. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1194856

The Philippine Army on Thursday said recruitment by the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army (CPP-NPA) could intensify now that movement restrictions due to the health pandemic have eased up.

Philippine Army Visayas commander, Lt. Gen. Benedict Arevalo, said they are now assessing and analyzing the effects of the pandemic in terms of the conduct of recruitment.

"We feel that Covid-19 also was able to slow down their recruitment," he said.

Arevalo said roughly the strength of the CPP-NPA in Panay island is between 200 to 250.

Apart from the pandemic, Arevalo also credited the efforts of the Regional Task Force to End Local Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) in the drop of the CPP-NPA recruitment.

With the slowdown in recruitment, the PA Visayas commander ordered his men to fast-track the neutralization of the armed component of the communist movement.

"Let us not wait for our enemy to die of old age, let us not wait for them to just fade away. We really have to exert pressure on our operations and be able to convince them to go back to the folds of the law if not be captured," he said.

Movement restrictions have been lifted for about a year and a half. If recruitment was going to intensify then it should have done so already. Plus the AFP keeps saying that the NPA is irrelevant and has less roughly 2,000 members. It seems they really don't know what is happening with recruitment-wise with the NPA.

Davao City is celebrating it's insurgency-free status. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1957685/davao/local-news/council-passes-resolution-celebrating-davao-citys-insurgency-free-status

THE Davao City council has passed a resolution commemorating the anniversary of Davao City’s declaration as “insurgency-free.”

“It has been one year since Davao City has enjoyed the status of ‘Insurgency Free’ and it is appropriate to celebrate this event to remember the efforts of our peace-keeping and security forces in the City of Davao and give the opportunity to honor their actions that shaped a better future for our City,” Davao City councilor Luna Acosta, chairperson of the committee on peace and public safety, said during the regular session of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on March 28, 2023.

On March 24, 2022, Davao City was declared as insurgency free through resolution no. 0115-22, which was passed on July 19, 2022.

“Peace and Order are considered as a vital factor in sustaining a harmonious and well-developed locality, thus, the 20th City Council recognizes the remarkable actions of the peace-keeping and security forces in the City of Davao,” Acosta said.

Following the passage of the resolution, 10th Infantry Division (10ID) supported its idea of the celebration.

“The 10th Infantry (AGILA) Division, Philippine Army, welcomed the resolution passed before the Davao City Council celebrating the first anniversary of the city as “insurgency-free” since its declaration on March 24, 2022,” 10ID said in their press release.

10ID Division Commander Major General Jose Eriel M Niembra said the military force will continue “the gains of peace and development not only in Davao City but in the entire area of responsibility of Agila Division.”

“Since the declaration of Davao City and the whole of Region 11 as insurgency-free, we have seen and experienced a boom in tourism, socio-economic activities, infrastructure, and many more. We will keep it that way as we stand to safeguard the welfare of all Davaoeños to ensure peace and order," Niembra said.

But not every region is so lucky as the fight continues to rage especially in the Visayas. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1199038

A soldier of the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) was wounded during an encounter with the remnants of the dismantled New People’s (NPA) Army Northern Negros Front (NNF) in the hinterlands of Toboso, Negros Occidental on Thursday afternoon.

The 303rd Infantry Brigade (IBde) said the trooper, whose identity is still being withheld by the unit, is now in a stable condition at a hospital here, where he received the Wounded Personnel Medal from Brig. Gen. Orlando Edralin, commander of 303IBde, on Friday morning.

“It is with great pride that I commend the tireless efforts of officers and troops of 79IB under Lt. Col. J-Jay Javines. The same goes for our wounded personnel. Truly, the devotion and sacrifices made by our soldiers to their oath to safeguard fellow Filipinos and the country are beyond measure,” Edralin said.

He added the 303IBde appreciates the continued support of the locals who provide information to the troops on the presence of the NPA rebels in their community.

“They have now understood that communist-terrorists are the menace of the society. The 79IB also acted immediately to the information given by the locals,” he added.

At around 4 p.m., soldiers engaged about 10 NPA fighters in Sitio Seraje, Barangay San Isidro after residents complained of extortion and propaganda activities.

Based on the accounts of the locals, at least three wounded rebels were seen withdrawing from the encounter site, the report said.  

During the clearing operation, troops recovered two homemade shotguns with two magazines and live ammunition, mobile phone battery, medicine kits, hammocks, rainboots and other personal items, and subversive documents.  

The NNF, which was part of the NPA’s Komiteng Rehiyon-Negros, Cebu, Bohol and Siquijor, was dismantled by the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police in April 2021.

From late 2021 to 2022, some of its top leaders have been killed in clashes while some members have surrendered, although others continue to conduct recruitment and recovery efforts, particularly in the hinterland villages in the boundaries of Escalante City, in Toboso and Calatrava towns, and in other remote areas of northern Negros.

"Remnants of the dismantled New People’s (NPA) Army Northern Negros Front (NNF)?" The AFP claims the NNF was dismantled in 2021 but it seems they are still operating even though it be with "remnants." This is why the AFP cannot and should not definitively declare fronts dismantled and areas cleared until they are actually dismantled and cleared meaning all NPA are neutralized not simply that they have not been seen for some time.