Insurgency: Holiday Truce

The CPP's anniversary is coming up and the AFP has warned they "might commit retaliatory attacks to mark the occasion."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1240099

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Tuesday communist insurgents are no longer capable of conducting large-scale operations, even as they look to celebrate the 56th founding anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Dec. 26.

"As they have been already weakened, and being weakened, they are no longer capable of staging major operations and also, meron na din po sila (they have) a leadership vacuum, and they are not capable of recruiting any more additional personnel into their ranks," AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla said in a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

This comes as the New People's Army (NPA), the CPP's armed wing, might commit retaliatory attacks to mark the occasion.

She, however, said the AFP is ready to thwart these actions.

"Our commanders on the ground, we trust (that they) know the situations on the ground and they will be preparing accordingly," Padilla said.

She also said the AFP would continue with its internal security operations to finish the remaining communist insurgents in the country at the soonest possible time.

"From the start of the year, we started with seven weakened guerrilla fronts, ngayon (now) we're down to one and we're well within targets," Padilla said.

Could the AFP be any more contradictory? The AFP says the NPA is weakened, has a leadership vacuum, are unable to recruit, and are unable to carry out large scale attacks yet they are prepared to thwart such attacks. We have also seen that the NPA definitely still has leaders and is allegedly recruiting in Iloilo. Why all the contradictions?

In the past the AFP has held a Christmas truce with the CPP-NPA. The DND says they are not interested in such a truce this year.  

https://mb.com.ph/2024/12/18/holiday-truce-with-communists

If it were only up to Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., the national government will have no truce with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), its armed wing, the National People’s Army (NPA), and political wing, National Democratic Front (NDF), this Christmas season.

In a statement Wednesday, Dec. 18, exactly a week before Christmas Day, Teodoro said that any truce that shall be made by the national government with the CPP-NDA-NDF “is a ceasefire against terrorists and criminals.”

“It is a last-ditch measure of a Jurassic group to find relevance in the national political ecosystem,” he stressed.

As of writing, the AFP’s Commander-in-Chief, President Marcos Jr., has not yet decided whether or not the government will declare a unilateral ceasefire with the Communist groups this holiday, as what has been the tradition in the previous years until the collapse of the peace talks between the two.

If the CPP-NPA is unable to carry out large scale attacks what's the point of a truce? 

The AFP has killed another one of the non-existent NPA leaders calling his death a "big blow to the NPA."

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1240011

The Philippine Army is hopeful that the death of a notorious leader of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Samar will encourage remaining rebels to abandon the armed struggle.

Brig. Gen. Lenart Lelina, commander of the Army’s 801st Infantry Brigade, said the neutralization of Artemio Solayao alias Budil is a big blow to the NPA’s Eastern Visayas regional party committee (EVRPC).

Solayao was the leader of Squad 2, Yakal Platoon, of the NPA EVRPC with multiple warrants of arrest for the atrocities he committed against the government forces, including the ambush of members of the 14th Infantry Battalion in 2014 in Maypadandan, Catbalogan City.

He died during the firefight on Dec. 13 in upland Cawayan village in Catbalogan City, Samar that lasted about 15 minutes. Government troops also seized a .45 caliber pistol and documents containing high intelligence value.

“This Christmas season, we are hoping that NPA remnants will choose to lay down their arms and return to the folds of the law. It is not yet too late, be with their family, the government will help them,” Lelina said.

The official said it is high time for the remaining rebels to surrender with the military’s continued focus operations that target the communist NPA’s leadership and logistical networks. This is part of their effort to end insurgency and ensure long-term peace and security in the region.

Why does the AFP think the death of this one guy will cause the remaining rebels in Samar to "abandon the armed struggle?"

Another important leader was captured in Northern Negros. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1239984

Troops of the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (79IB) seized the hideout and captured a key leader of the dismantled New People’s Army-North Negros Front (NPA-NNF), following a clash in remote Barangay Bandila of Toboso, Negros Occidental over the weekend.

The arrested rebel, identified only as alias “Pinky,” is a cohort of Roger Fabillar alias “Arnel Tapang,” an NPA hitman facing a string of murder cases in northern Negros with a PHP1-million bounty on his head, according to the 79IB report.

“She was arrested during the pursuit operation after the encounter and is now in the custody of Toboso Municipal Police Station,” 1Lt. Dan Carlo Samoza, 79IB civil-military operations officer, said in an interview.

A report of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office on Sunday showed that alias “Pinky,” 58, was apprehended in Sitio Malig-on Saturday morning. 

She has a warrant of arrest for attempted murder without bail, issued on Jan. 27, 2021 by the Regional Trial Court Branch 59 in neighboring San Carlos City.

On Friday afternoon, troops of 79IB tracked down the location of the NPA remnants in Sitio Tauma, based on the information provided by the locals, and engaged them in a 12-minute firefight.

No one died or was injured on the government side.

According to the 79IB report, soldiers found bloodstains from the encounter site towards the rebels’ withdrawal route.

After the encounter, they recovered various weapons, including a 5.56mm assault rifle, a caliber .38 revolver, a short magazine for AK47 assault rifle, two magazines for caliber .45 handgun and assorted live ammunition.

At the hideout, the NPA remnants left behind two backpacks, medical paraphernalia and medicines, food supplies, some personal items, and subversive documents.

In a statement, Lt. Col. Arnel Calaoagan, commander of 79IB, said the result of the encounter is “a testament to the unity, bravery and unwavering dedication exhibited by both the soldiers and the members of the community.”

“It is a clear manifestation of the relentless efforts of the ‘Masaligan’ troopers to hunt down every Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army personality and bring justice to the victims of  their  brutal  killing spree and atrocities,” he added.

Meanwhile in Northern Samar relentless ops vs the NPA have recovered numerous firearms.

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1240081

The Philippine Army has recovered two firearms in its continuing military operations against remnants of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Northern Samar province.

Troops from the Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion seized the firearms on Monday after an encounter with six communist rebels from the sub-regional guerrilla unit, under the sub-regional committee of the NPA Eastern Visayas regional party committee (EVRPC), in the remote areas of Manering village in, Catubig, Northern Samar.

The 15-minute firefight resulted in the recovery of one Bushmaster M4 rifle, one M16 rifle, and various NPA war materiel and personal belongings. No one was hurt during the brief firefight.

In a statement on Tuesday, Lt. Col. Richard Villaflor, commander of the Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion lauded villagers for providing information about armed rebels near their communities.

“Our troops showcased their commitment to peace and security in Catubig town acting on information from concerned citizens. This success underscores the dedication of our troops and the vital role of community cooperation in fighting insurgency. We thank the public for their trust and timely support in securing our barangays. Let us remain united and vigilant in achieving lasting peace and development in Northern Samar,” Villaflor said.

The recovery of firearms is part of the continuing intensified fight against insurgents in Northern Samar after a major clash early this month.

On Dec. 2, seven rebels died in a fierce gun battle with a group of 30 NPA combatants hiding in a lair fortified with anti-personnel mines in upland Paco village in Las Navas.

In a follow-up operation on Dec. 5, two NPA members died in a clash in Barangay Victory in Las Navas and nearby Barangay Geparayan de Turag in Silvino Lobos.

In Cagayan the AFP have recovered 38 IEDs.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/12/20/npa-ie-ds-recovered-in-cagayan

The military recovered New People’s Army Improvised Explosive Devices in Sitio Tagkar, Barangay Isca, this town, on Wednesday, Dec. 18.

The 95th Infantry Battalion led by Lt. Col. Vladimir Gracilla received information from concerned citizens that a cache of explosives owned by communist rebels were kept in the area.

Soldiers, with the assistance of the police, verified its location and found 38 Improvised Explosive Devices, four improvised blasting machines, five remote controllers, and a 50-meter-long wire.

Police have taken custody of the IEDs for proper disposition.

Who are these "concerned citizens" that knew the location of these IEDs? Former rebels? How would an ordinary citizen know where the NPA was storing its bombs?

Engaging the NPA in firefights isn't the only way to defeat them. Building roads and bridges works too. 

https://mb.com.ph/2024/12/18/2-multi-million-infrastructure-projects-in-eastern-samar-to-boost-anti-insurgency-drive

The construction of two multi-million infrastructure projects, the P163-million Maslog and Jipapad Road (Phase 1) and the P30-million Panic-an Bridge in Maslog in Eastern Samar, is seen to boost the campaign against insurgency in the province.

The 2.4-kilometer Maslog and Jipapad Road (Phase 1) and the 22-meter Panic-an Bridge will connect barangays and municipalities, especially in vulnerable areas, to foster socio-economic development, especially 

in conflict-affected areas.

The farm-to-market roads were funded under the Fiscal Year 2024 Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) Program, which focuses on the transformation of former rebels (FRs), their families, and communities.

Brig. Gen. Lenart Lelina, commander of the 801st Infantry Brigade, stressed the importance of farm-to-market roads, citing the adage, “Insurgency ends where road begins.”

“These two municipalities were formerly considered hotbeds of the insurgents in the province of Eastern Samar. But now, with these infrastructure projects, economic development will soon start to flourish,” he said.

Major Gen. Adonis Ariel Orio, commander of the 8th Infantry Division and the Joint Task Force Storm, thanked the government’s continued support in putting initiatives that are critical in defeating the New People's Army.

“Through these projects, the root causes of insurgency will be addressed. The delivery of basic government services and the socio-economic development will improve through these access roads,”  Orio said.

Now that these communities have proper infrastructure they will be able to get rich and the government will be able to deliver basic services. No need to be a communist anymore. It's time to pack it all in because the government built a road and a bridge. 

Simply surrender and seek amnesty like 1,665 others.

https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/19/1-665-ex-rebels-seek-amnesty-opapru-1317

A total of 1,665 former rebels have applied for the amnesty offered by the government, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity (OPAPRU) said on Thursday.

Of these, 1,061 were former members of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) and their front organizations.

Another 344 were from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); 241 from the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF); and 19 from the Rebolusyonaryong Partidong Manggagawa ng Pilipinas/Revolutionary Proletarian Army/Alex Boncayao Brigade (RPMP-RPA-ABB).

At least 1,260 of the applicants are still under verification, while 331 are for conference, 33 for resolution, and only 41 have been resolved by the Local Amnesty Boards (LABs) and are up for review by the NAC.

(Some causes of the delay are incomplete submissions of application forms. Some of the applications we received were just the one-page application form, which we provided and is downloadable from our website or social media pages. What happens is that the LAB secretariat has to search for the necessary information to complete the applicant's documents, so that's where we experience delays.)

There are currently nine LABs across the country, and the NAC plans to establish 11 more in 2025.

The LABs serve as centers where rebels can avail themselves of amnesty, but only for political crimes or crimes committed in pursuit of political beliefs.

(What is important here is for the applicants to know that it will expedite the processing of the application if they submit a complete document in support of their application.)

The amnesty process requires proof of identity, of affiliation, and of the commission of a crime. 

Former members of the CPP-NPA-NDF were granted amnesty by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. under Proclamation No. 404.

Members of the RPMP-RPA-ABB, MILF, and MNLF were granted amnesty under Proclamation Nos. 403, 405, and 406, respectively.

Under these proclamations, issued on November 23, 2023, members of these rebel groups have two years to apply for amnesty. Applications are filed with the LABs, which also handle the initial processing.

A lot of criminals will never face a true reckoning in this life.